Rhetorical Strategies: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos “Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men” -- Plato Over 2,000 years ago the Greek philosopher Aristotle argued that there were three basic ways to persuade an audience of your position: ethos, logos, and pathos.

What is Rhetoric? "the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion." -- Aristotle "Rhetoric is the art of speaking well." -- Quintillian

Why Ethos? Aristotle says that if we believe that a speaker has good sense, good moral character, and goodwill, we are inclined to believe what that speaker says. Today we might add that a speaker should also appear to have the appropriate expertise or authority to speak knowledgeably about the subject matter. Ethos is often the first thing we notice, so it creates the first impression that influences how we perceive the rest. -- Dr. John R. Edlund, Cal Poly Pomona

Ethos Greek for “character” Premise: we believe those whom we respect Focuses on the speaker or writer, NOT the audience. Think “Image” – not “ethics” The ethos triumvirate: character, credibility, reliability Reminds us of shared values Good Will

Ethos, continued Credibility: remind others of the author’s illustrious past or qualifications Examples: -- Companies include “since 19—” -- Colleges advertise famous/successful alumnae

Ethos, continued Character: Are you a good person? Example: “I am a husband, a father, and a taxpayer. I’ve served faithfully for 20 years on the school board. I deserve your vote for city council.” Reliability: How does the audience know you’ll come through? Example: On-Star commercials with “actual” recordings of distress calls

In advertising/Politics Ethos is an important factor in advertising, both for commercial products and in politics. For example, when an actor in a pain reliever commercial puts on a doctor’s white coat, the advertisers are hoping that wearing this coat will give the actor the authority to talk persuasively about medicines. Of course, in this particular instance the actor’s ethos is a deceptive illusion, but the character, background, and authority of the speaker or writer can be a legitimate factor in determining whether we find him or her credible.

Logos Greek for “word” Focus on argument itself, not the person making it Evidence (statistics, data, graphs, pictures, sources, expert testimony) Logic and Reasoning Acknowledges the opposing viewpoint (a strong writer also refutes it) Avoid logical fallacies

Pathos think of apathy, empathy, sympathy (feelings!!) Greek for “suffering” or “experience” Appeals to emotions and values of the audience Usually conveyed through narrative or story (hot topics: children, animals, the elderly, the disadvantaged) Think: Is the writer simply “playing me”?

Strategies for Pathos Figurative language (metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, personification, etc.) Personal anecdotes/stories Words with strong connotations (loaded language) Vivid, description, details and imagery

Summary EthosLogosPathos Speaker- centered Argument- centered Audience- centered Credibility Good will Expertise Reliability Logic or FactsEmotions Closing thought: A good argument will use an effective combination of all three appeals. As a reader and viewer, pay close attention to how people are trying to persuade you.

How to articulate these strategies in an analytical essay Avoid using the words themselves (ethos, pathos, logos); instead, describe their qualities.

Logos Paine provides reasonable evidence to support his position. He provides a logical reason why troops failed in an earlier attempts to beat the British

Ethos By reminding the audience of his many years of experience as a politician in Washington, he earns our respect for his inside knowledge, and his claims about our government are therefore alarming.

Pathos When Paine ends his speech with the famously emotional “Give me Liberty or Give me Death,” he has stirred his audience into believing that this is worth dying for.