Logos, Pathos,

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Logos, Pathos, Ethos

• An Introduction to Rhetorical Appeals

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Background Information

• Rhetoric is the use of words for a specific
  purpose, often to persuade an audience.
• According to Aristotle, there are three main
  strategies employed when appealing to an
  audience logos, ethos, and pathos.

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Logos An Appeal to Logic

• Logos (Greek for word) refers to the internal
  consistency of the messagethe clarity of the
  claim, the logic of its reasons, and the
  effectiveness of its supporting evidence. The
  impact of logos on an audience is sometimes
  called the arguments logical appeal (Ramage).

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Logos An Appeal to Logic

• An appeal to logos can be created
• through the use of logic based on
• irrefutable facts, verifiable
• numbers, and the inexorable march
• of reason across the course of a
• well-constructed speech, the pages
• of a critical paper, or the surfaces
• of compelling advertisements.
• When hunting for or seeking to
• employ logos, consider facts as
• evidence, research/ statistics,
• quoted authorities, cause and
• effect, analogies and comparisons,
• common sense/shared values, and
• precedent.

How is this ad an example of a visual metaphor?
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Pathos An Appeal to Emotion

• Pathos (Greek for suffering or experience)
  is often associated with emotional appeal. But a
  better equivalent might be appeal to the
  audiences sympathies and imagination. An appeal
  to pathos causes an audience not just to respond
  emotionally but to identify with the writers
  point of viewto feel what the writer
  feels.Pathos refers to both the emotional and
  the imaginative impact of the message on an
  audience, the power with which the writers
  message moves the audience to decision or action
  (Ramage).

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Pathos An Appeal to Emotion

• An appeal based on pathos is
• targeted at the realm of emotion.
• It's why campaigns try to wrap
• themselves in a national flag
• and manuever to make you fear
• the other. It's why a winning
• smile and puppy-dog eyes work
• magic in cementing an
• advertisements main message in
• the minds of viewers. Its why
• words aimed at the heartstrings
• often strike a chord within even the
• most savvy and skeptical readers.
• When pinpointing or seeking to
• utilize pathos, consider connotative
• diction, imagery, or figurative language,
• anecdotes, examples, images that evoke
• an emotional response, and carefully

How is this ad working on the pathos level?
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Ethos An Appeal to Ethics

• Ethos (Greek for character) refers to the
  trustworthiness or credibility of the writer or
  speaker. Ethos is often conveyed through tone and
  style of the message and through the way the
  writer or speaker refers to differing views. It
  can also be affected by the writers reputation
  as it exists independently from the messagehis
  or her expertise in the field, his or her
  previous record or integrity, and so forth. The
  impact of ethos is often called the arguments
  ethical appeal or the appeal from
  credibility (Ramage).

The Speaker
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Ethos An Appeal to Ethics

• An appeal based on ethos centers
• on the ethical character of the speaker
• and their sources of information. Quite
• simply, it matters who's trying to
• persuade you and whom they reference
• for support. If the person trying to sway
• an audience demonstrates common
• sense, virtue, and goodwill, then the
• listeners will be more likely to believe
• what that person states. If an
• advertisement cites a reputable
• institutions stastics, the claim of the ad
• becomes more plausible.
• When seeking or straining to implement
• ethos, consider the stating of qualifications
• for expertise, citing relevant authorities and
• allusions, making qualified claims (perhaps,
• sometimes, etc.), and restating opposing

How does this image extend beyond mere celebrity
endorsement to include ethos?
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Major Resource

• Ramage, John D. and John C. Bean. Writing
  Arguments. 4th Edition. Needham Heights, MA
  Allyn Bacon, 1998, 81-82. http//www.u.arizon
  a.edu