1. Ethos, Pathos, Logos
College Writing

2. Rhetorical Triangle
Logos
Pathos
Ethos

3. Speaker/ Communicator (Ethos)
The “rhetor” (speaker)
Each and every speaker brings:
Own opinions and biases and experiences
Limitations of knowledge and language
Distinct voice or persona
Quintilian (Roman rhetorician) speaker should be “good man speaking well”
Emphasis on good character

4. Ethical Appeals (ethos)
sense you (author) gives as being competent/fair/authority
trustworthiness
credibility
reliability
expert testimony
reliable sources
fairness

5. Audience/ Reader (Pathos)
Speculating about the reader’s expectations, knowledge, and disposition with regard to the subject writers explore
Writers ‘invent’ or make-up audience when one is not presented
Self can be an audience

6. Emotional Appeals (pathos)
appeal to beliefs and feelings higher emotions
belief in fairness
love
pity
lower emotions
greed
lust
revenge
Aavarice

7. Text/ Message (Logos)
Evaluate what the speaker knows, examines perspectives, and determines evidence or proofs to support claims
The “text” does not speak independently of the speaker and audience
Make clear, reasonable premises + proofs

8. Rational Appeals (logos)
appeal to logical reasoning ability of readers
facts
case studies
statistics
experiments
logical reasoning
analogies
anecdotes
authority voices

9. Rhetorical Triangle Omissions:
Context
Purpose
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10. Inductive vs. Deductive Reasoning (The Informed Argument p. 440)
Inductive Reasoning
Progresses from specific to general
Draw a conclusion based on evidence
Allows you to argue how specific evidence leads to your conclusion you are arguing
Because of all of the bank and credit failures, it is necessary for the federal government to intervene.
Deductive Reasoning
Leads from a generalization (major premise) to a specific case (minor premise) and then on to a conclusion.
Blue sky, sunny conditions, people swimming = conclusion that it is a nice day.
Based on a fundamental truth, value or right rather than evidence.

11. Key Terms
premise—the underlying value or belief that one assumes as a given truth at the beginning of an argument.
Concession—giving in to the other side
Syllogism—A 3-stage form of deductive reasoning through which a general truth yields a specific conclusion.
Premise A: John is a person.
Premise B: People have hearts.
Conclusion: Therefore, John has a heart.