Rhetorical Appeals: Logos, Pathos, Ethos

Rhetoric: A brief history Rhetoric is the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion. Ancient Greek civilization gave birth to some of human history’s great philosophers—Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Socrates: Ancient Greek Philosopher Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. The trial and execution of Socrates was the climax of his career and the central event of the dialogues of Plato. Socrates admits in court that he could have avoided the trial by abandoning philosophy and going home to mind his own business.

Plato: Ancient Greek Philosopher Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher, as well as a mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens. Plato is widely believed to have been a student of Socrates and to have been deeply influenced by his teacher's unjust death. Plato's brilliance as a writer and thinker can be witnessed by reading his Socratic dialogues.

Aristotle: The Great Philosopher Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. He wrote on diverse subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry (including theater), biology and zoology, logic, rhetoric, politics, government, and ethics. Along with Socrates and Plato, Aristotle was one of the most influential of the ancient Greek philosophers. -en.wikipedia.org

Rhetorical Appeals Logos: Appeal using logic Aristotle named three rhetorical appeals Logos: Appeal using logic Pathos: Appeal using emotions Ethos: Appeal using character or credibility

The Rhetorical Triangle The Greek philosophers also gave us the rhetorical triangle, which argues that all forms of communication are a conversation between the text, the audience and the author. Text (Logos) Audience (Pathos) Author (Ethos) conversation

The Triple Threat: logos, pathos, ethos Most persuasive texts will use some combination of the three appeals to get their message across. Each of the appeals corresponds to a part of the rhetorical triangle (pictured here). Text (Logos) Audience (Pathos) Author (Ethos) conversation

Logos Logos appeals to logic and may include facts, statistics, or “quotes” This information is used as evidence within the text to support your argument and persuade the audience. Example: “Nine out of ten health professionals agree, an apple a day really does keep the doctor away.”

Logos: another example Here we see a chart showing a correlation between the fall of pirates and rise of natural disasters. Are you convinced by these statistics?

Logos: more examples (Can you identify the logical appeals used in this cartoon?)

Pathos Pathos appeals to the emotions, needs and wants of the listener. This strategy attempts to influence or manipulate the emotions and desires of the audience in order to persuade or convince the listener that their argument is true. Can you name any propaganda techniques that rely on emotional appeals?

Pathos: a second look (Can you identify the emotional appeals used below?)

Pathos: the power of story Many of the stories we hear and read as children are written to appeal to our emotions so that we will be persuaded to follow certain social and moral codes (which brings us to the next part of the rhetorical triangle—ethos…)

Ethos Ethos appeals to our sense of shared ethics, including social and moral codes, trust, and credibility. There are two kinds of ethos—artistic and inartistic. Artistic ethos is created and sustained through the delivery of the message. Inartistic ethos pre-exists and comes along with someone’s status or station.

For example… An officer of the law has inartistic ethos because of the station he or she holds (we trust them because of their position). However, that same officer can lose our trust by his or her actions, as in the case of Rodney King.

For example… The President of the United States has inartistic ethos because of his station (we applaud Presidents when they enter a room to deliver a speech). However, the President can lose our trust through his or her actions (or through their artistic ethos). Think of other examples. In what areas would Mrs. Clark-Reed have artistic or inartistic ethos? Explain.

Ethos cont’d When you are discussing ethos, think about the credibility the author has; that will help you write about it more than focusing on values or ethics They may have credibility on a subject because of their expertise (i.e. a doctor writing for a medical journal, or a teenager writing about the latest teen lingo…like chilax, which I just learned this summer). They may also attain (or lose) credibility through what they say (i.e. using logos or pathos)

Now that you know… See if you can identify how each of the appeals—logos, pathos, and ethos—are used in the following print advertisements. Here is a chance to try out your knowledge.

And NOW this… Now that we have looked closely at a selection of advertisements, let’s see if we have similar ideas… What appeals did you notice and how were they used?

Pathos: Everyone shown in this image is smiling Pathos: Everyone shown in this image is smiling. Happiness seems to surround them as they sit together in what seems to be a ski lodge. They are dressed warmly and are sitting near a glowing fireplace. The red of the cigarette package stands out against the black and white image—this seems to suggest that the owner of the cigarettes might also “distinguish” himself (or stand out from the crowd) by owning the cigarettes. Loaded words like “smooth,” “finest quality,” “distinguished," and “finest money can buy” suggest wealthy and upper class living. Ethos: Pall Mall attempts to give their argument credibility by showing us a picture of one man offering the cigarettes to another. The man offering the cigarettes seems slightly older than the man receiving the cigarettes, maybe suggesting that the older man’s experience qualifies him to make a recommendation. Logos: Interestingly, there is little or no evidence of a logical appeal, although the words, “guard against throat scratch” seem to suggest that smoking other brands will cause your throat to scratch.

Pathos: As in the other advertisement, everyone shown in this image is smiling. Happiness seems to surround them as they sit together in the seats of a Greyhound bus. Everyone is formally dressed and neatly groomed. “The friendly way to travel” suggests that driving in a car, or riding your bike, are more aggressive. The ad also states, “The people you meet aboard a Greyhound somehow seem more neighborly, more relaxed, easier to talk to.” In fact, it looks like this group of people could have come from the same neighborhood. Ethos: The ethical appeal is harder to see. Greyhound seems to be relying on the credibility of its name, and its presentation as a safe and clean environment in the advertisement. Logos: Greyhound uses its low fares as evidence to support the passenger’s friendly attitude: “a person who has bought a travel bargain is sure to be in a pleasant frame of mind.” They don’t offer any specific pricing information, however.

Pathos: The man appears to be in the role of the husband returning home to his wife after a long day of work. He reaches for her, hat in hand, and instead of the “royal welcome” he expects, the man is greeted by the scrutinizing stare of his wife, whose expression seems to communicate suspicion, anxiety and possibly disgust. The font exclaims: “INFECTIOUS DANDRUFF!” Infectious is a loaded or emotional word that carries a negative connotation similar in tone to the expression on the woman’s face. Ethos: The credibility of the argument seems connected to the pseudoscience (false scientific facts and information) pictured on the man’s shoulder. Logos: The close-up image of the germs, flakes, and scales pictured on the man’s shoulder attempt to create a sense of scientific evidence, although they ultimately come across as specious.