The Three Appeals

What They Are: The three appeals are methods of persuading an audience that have come down to us from ancient Greek times and are still effective and commonly used today.

Appeal #1 Logos This is an appeal to logic and reasoning. If someone argues that the death penalty should be abolished in America because it violates the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution and backs that up with clear support, this person has just made an appeal to Logos or a logical appeal.

Appeal #2 Ethos This is an appeal to credibility, meaning the credibility of the writer. An appeal to Ethos involves the author writing in such a way that she or he would be deemed trustworthy by the reader. For example, if someone arguing for abolishing the death penalty provides quite a bit of credible research, deals fairly with the audience avoiding things like name calling, and retains a vocabulary and style that is mindful of the reader, this person is making an appeal to Ethos.

Appeal #3 Pathos This is an appeal to the readers’ emotions, be that emotion pity, fear, anger, or any other useful emotion. For example, if someone arguing against the death penalty were to describe a specific case in which a prisoner was executed and the execution was unexpectedly painful, this person would be making an appeal to pathos. She or he wishes the audience to feel pity for the people being executed.

The Need for All the Appeals: The appeals are powerful tools, but they work best when used together. Logos by itself can be powerful but often dry. An argument that doesn’t have Ethos leave the reader feeling that the writer is untrustworthy. Furthermore, Pathos by itself can lend itself to absurdities without the use of logic. Although not all persuasive texts use each appeal to the same degree, all of them are often touched on by most writers of credible persuasive texts.

Why is This Important? Knowing the appeals is important for several reasons: First, it adds to the persuasive tools that you as a writer can draw on. Second, it helps to determine the strength of an argument. Weak or inappropriate use of the appeals can really make an argument less credible. Third, it helps you as a reader to become aware of the methods others are trying to use to persuade you so that you can make a reasoned decision about whether or not you are persuaded.

Practice: Form groups of 3-4 people. Examine the article “Imaginary Perversion Becoming a Crime.” Do your best to find examples of each of the appeals in the article. Select a speaker for your group so that you can share what you’ve found with the class. Note that the same passage can contain more than one appeal.