Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Art of Rhetoric: Learning how to use the three rhetorical styles (Ethos, Pathos, Logos)Key Words to Know:Rhetoric: the art of speaking or writing effectively or persuasively

Appeals are how a writer/speaker tries to convince his or her intended audience.

Whenever you read or hear an argument you must ask yourself, What is the writers/speakers purpose? Is this persuasive? And if so, to whom?"

The three methods of persuasion are

ethospathoslogos

EthosThe Writers Character or ImageThe Greek word Ethos is related to our word ethics or ethicalEthics means moral, honest and goodWhen used correctly, Ethos makes the writer/speaker appear... Well-informed about the topic Confident in his or her position Sincere and honest Understanding of concerns and possible objections Humane and considerate

ETHOS

Ethos is a persons credibility with a given audience. It can mean sincerity, authority, expertise, faithfulness, or any adjective that describes someone you can trust to do the right thing.

Think about going into your doctor's office and seeing a medical degree from Harvard versus seeing a degree from a no-name town university.

What is the difference?

The same is true about an author of a piece of writing. The clues are more subtle but they are there if you look for them.

Ethos is an effective persuasive strategy because when we believe that the speaker does not intend to do us harm, we are more willing to listen to what s/he has to say. When a judge comments on legal precedent audiences tend to listen because it is the job of a judge to know the nature of past legal cases.

Pathosis more about the audience..

How is the audience (of which you are a part) being manipulated?

PathosThe emotions of the audiencePathos is related to the words pathetic, sympathy and empathy.When you accept a claim based on how it makes you feel without fully analyzing the rationale behind it, you are acting on pathos.Can be manipulative but it makes people actType of appeal: Emotional appealWe make our decisions mostly based on emotions, such as anger, pity, fear, humor, idealism, fairness, etc.Emotional appeals create a connection between speaker and audience because theyReinforce logical arguments Use diction and imagery to create a bond with the reader in a human way. This is the power of words and imagesOften they are written as a story or about a situation in which people can relate

PATHOSPathos appeals rely on emotions and feelings to persuade the audience

They are often direct, simple, and very powerful

If the writing is a story, and the story is very sad and you are sitting at home crying while you read it, are you going to be more sympathetic to the argument that is being made?

Commercials such as those put out by MADD or SADD are heartwrenching when they show pictures or talk about children who were killed by drunk drivers.

Does the emotion make you more sympathetic?

Of course. You can still believe the argument is valid, but it is important to realize that your emotions are being manipulated.

Other areas where this happens is during very patriotic speeches in which you can almost imagine hearing the national anthem playing in the background.

The argument may or may not be valid, but you are being manipulated by your emotions. Be suspicious of these arguments in general because our emotions are funny things; they can turn our heads away from a very illogical argument

If you can imagine music being played in the background when you are reading or listening to a speech, pathos is probably involved.

Where do you notice PATHOS appeals?America's older citizens have rightly been called the "greatest generation." It is morally unacceptable that the people that built this country -- our senior citizens -- should suffer hunger in a land of plenty, which they helped to create.-from Americas Second Harvest program

America's older citizens have rightly been called the "greatest generation." It is morally unacceptable that the people that built this country -- our senior citizens -- should suffer hunger in a land of plenty, which they helped to create.-from Americas Second Harvest program

Logos: The Greek word logos is the basis for the English word logic. Logos refers to any attempt to appeal to the intellect, the general meaning of "logical argument." Everyday arguments rely heavily on ethos and pathos, but academic arguments rely more on logos: there will be logical chains of reasoning supporting all claims.

Logos

Logical ArgumentLogos is the use of hard facts, statistics, and logical argumentation. Makes your argument more valid, compelling or convincingLogic and rationality are highly valued in our societyLogical appeals have...Strong, clear claims Solid reasons for claims Strong evidence (facts, statistics, personal experience, expert authority, interviews, observations, anecdotes) Acknowledgement of the opposition There is never only one side to an argument

LOGOSLogos appeals rely on the audiences intelligence to persuade them. Education causes audiences to be more skeptical of emotional arguments and more receptive to logos

The most important part of logos is where the author/speaker and audience members meet. Where is the common ground between the two?

Both sides of a discussion must have common ground on which they can build in order to have a discussion.

Major issues, such as abortion or capital punishment, are problematic issues to discuss because neither side can find any common ground with the other side.

Therefore, no discussion can take place. There has to be common ground to build on in order to have a discussion and find resolution. These issues will never be resolved between the two binaries because no common ground exists between absolute black and white issues.

Where do you see a LOGOS appeal?NASA sees its mission to explore Mars as an endeavor to seek out the possibility of life on that planet. Knowing if water was on Mars is the first step in this research.

NASA sees its mission to explore Mars as an endeavor to seek out the possibility of life on that planet. Knowing if water was on Mars is the first step in this research.

Where do you notice PATHOS and LOGOS appeals?The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge provides a safe refuge for 180 species of migratory birds, serves as a birthing ground for one of the hemisphere's largest caribou herds and has been home to the Gwinch'in people for a thousand generations. Ninety-five percent (95%) of Alaska's North Slope is already available to Big Oil, but these companies want it all.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge provides a safe refuge for 180 species of migratory birds, serves as a birthing ground for one of the hemisphere's largest caribou herds and has been home to the Gwinch'in people for a thousand generations. Ninety-five percent (95%) of Alaska's North Slope is already available to Big Oil, but these companies want it all.

Putting Persuasion to Practice Example #1:Many advertisers for consumer goods aim at making us insecure about our attractiveness or social acceptability, and then offer a remedy for this feeling in the form of their product. This is common with toothpaste, chewing gum, clothing, hair products, and cars. Is this an example of Ethos, Pathos or Logos? Why? PATHOS

Example #2:Youre at the dentist and you leave with a new whitening toothpaste. On the tube, it says, In a research study, 49% of patients saw improved whiteness and less plaque in 2-3 weeks. Is this an example of Ethos, Pathos or Logos? Why?LOGOS

Example #3:When an actor in a pain reliever commercial puts on a doctors white coat, the advertisers are hoping that wearing this coat will give the actor the authority to talk persuasively about medicines. Is this an example of Ethos, Pathos or Logos? Why?ETHOS

George W.s 13 sentence speechGeorge W. Bush has become notorious for being a poor orator. Many critics of Bush have bashed him for his verbal mistakes and for his choice of wording (He was even criticized for not speaking to the nation soon enough after the terrorist attacks on September 11. However, on September 14, he gave one of the best speeches of his life. He spoke only thirteen sentences and did so in only three minutes.

On September 14, Bush took a short helicopter tour of the devastated New York area and then walked between the piles of rubble. He talked with volunteers, firefighters, and police officers. Hearing chants of "USA! USA!" from the workers, Bush took hold of a bullhorn, climbed to the top of a small pile of rubble, and put his arm around a fire fighter. Here is a transcript of what happened:

CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.!THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. I want you all to know --

THE PRESIDENT: I can't talk any louder. (Laughter.) I want you all to know that America today -- that America today is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn. This nation stands with the good people of New York City, and New Jersey and Connecticut, as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens.

Q: I can't hear you. THE PRESIDENT: I can hear you. (Applause.) I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. (Applause.) And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. (Applause.)

CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.! THE PRESIDENT: The nation sends its love and compassion to everybody who is here. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for making the nation proud. And may God bless America. (Applause.) CROWD: U.S.A.! U.S.A.! (The President waves small American flag.) (Applause.)

Analysis

Applying Aristotle's proofs to this situation you can (1) clarify their definitions, (2) expose their utility, and (3) draw insight to Bush's speech.

Ethos refers to "the study of human character" and "the persuasive potential of the speaker's character and personal credibility" According to Aristotle, this proof was potentially the most persuasive, although, logos or logic may be considered most important today. When one's character is seen as positive, we especially trust or have confidence in the person trying to persuade us When the speaker is seen as trustworthy, knowledgeable, and interested in the audience, the audience will likely accept what the speaker says as true.

Bush's display of ethos during this speech was ubiquitous. Being a president that is willing to come to the heart of the tragedy that had just occurred, automatically lifted his character to that of a person who is caring, compassionate, and interested. His sense of eunoia or the goodwill a speaker cultivates between himself and his audience was seen throughout his speech.

Bush's slight nonverbal actions also bolstered his sense of character. Throughout most of his speech, he kept his arm wrapped around a lead firefighter working at the scene. The two men, standing in front of onlookers and millions of Americans watching television, looked as if they were good friends, glancing and nodding at one another. Interestingly, Bush's three minute speech was completely audience centered, which has been known to affect ethos

In all, his character and personhood came across as that of a conscientious, concerned person. His character shined when he eloquently stated, "And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." Bush was persuading the workers and the nation that our country is in safe hands and that we will find whoever did these terrible acts.

Pathos

Pathos refers to the study of human emotion, emotional appeals, and the act of "putting the audience in the right frame of mind" This emotional side of the speech usually influences our beliefs and has the potential to influence our actions. According to Aristotle, pathos is evident when the audience is "roused to emotion by speech" The issues of morality also come into play. Aristotle felt that there is a moral imperative for correct judgment

Before Bush even spoke a word, emotions were at large. The crowd was chanting, "USA! USA!" A feel of patriotism and pride mixed with an odd sense of defeat and disgust surrounded the area and nation. When a man shouted that he could not hear Bush speak, and Bush replied, "I can't talk any louder," the crowd laughed, putting them in a state of emotional happiness. When Bush thanked the workers for their treacherous labor, a sense of pride and heroism was felt.

Within pathos, Aristotle makes a distinction between fear appeals and pity appeals. He classifies fear appeals as the fear of physical harm or death, fear of loss, or deprivation of freedom

"And the people who knocked down these buildings will hear all of us soon," he was not creating fear in American lives, but he was appealing to the fears of whoever knocked down the buildings. In addition, he used this fear appeal (aimed at the opposers) to motivate, inspire, and persuade Americans that we will retaliate.

Aristotle also classified pity appeals, which suggest or state "that someone or something helpless is being harmed"

Bush's numerous statements, such as, "The nation sends its love and compassion to everybody who is here", bring out emotions of pity and sympathy, placing America as the "helpless and harmed." In addition, the war torn environment in which the speech took place added to the emotional situation. Pathos was probably more influential than any of the other proofs in this speech.

Logos

Logos has numerous definitions, but usually refers to the words used, logical content or reasoning, or thought expressed in words Logos also means logical sense and may suggest intellect or rationality. It is also the study of "the arguments typical of the reasoning employed in practical decision making"

The concept of logos in Bush's speech may be the hardest of the proofs to understand at first sight when looking at the speech. Looking at specific word use, Bush used an immense amount of religious jargon. Phrases such as, "On bended knee in prayer" and "May God bless America," appealed to both emotions (pathos) and to ways of thought (logos) and religion.

Logos took place on another level as well. There was an argument that the country is united, still alive, and ready to 'be heard.' When Bush commented that "The nation stands with the good people of New York City, and New Jersey and Connecticut," he used logic to create an imaginary link of unification between the people devastated around the county. On another side, he also made a subtle argument by his threat to those who highjacked the planes and created such massive destruction

Bush did not just use logos, pathos, or ethos alone. He used them in unison. He used them to create a wholesome speech that was successful. Pathos was used expertly: the audience's feelings, needs, and emotions connected with the speech. Logos, or logical sense was displayed to the listeners throughout the nation. Ethos, or character and credibility, was also eloquently displayed by Bush.

Aristotle's artistic proofs are thousands of years old, however, they still have practical uses. They (1) allow the audience to understand public speeches at a greater depth and (2) allow the speaker to shape and mold her or his speech to one of success. In addition, according to Aristotle, they define the study of rhetoric. I find Aristotle's artistic proofs to be one of the most useful contributions to the study of rhetoric

Warm-up: Copy- Ways to Notice PersuasionAnnotate the text as you read.Be an active reader! Ask questions, clarify and evaluate.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Assignment to practice noticing persuasion: (14 answers)Re-read Women should kill their own spiders, and I Want a WifeFind, copy (exact quote) and label an example of logos, pathos and ethos in each text. 3 exs * 2 texts = 6 total quotesExplain for logos- whether the quote uses examples, anecdotes, cause & effect and/ or problems & solutions Explain for ethos Why is this writer credible?Explain for pathos- What emotion is targeted ?3. Write down what persuasive strategy each text uses the most (logos, pathos or ethos) one answer per text

Advertising ProjectLocate an advertisement (television, magazine, newspaper, mailer or circular) that uses Ethos, Pathos & Logos.Your goal is to find an advertisement that includes as many as you can in ONE adIf you select a television ad, you must send me a link to the advertisement prior to your presentation. Television commercials may only be a maximum of 30 seconds.Present your findings to the classShow an example of the advertisement printed ads must be cut-out and carefully mounted and include a clear explanation of where persuasion is used.Write down clear examples of Ethos, Pathos and/or Logos found and your analysis of the persuasive appeals used