Ethos, Pathos, Logos

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Ethos, Pathos, Logos
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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.

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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?"

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The three methods of persuasion are

• ethos
• pathos
• logos

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Ethos

• The Writers Character or Image
• The Greek word Ethos is related to our word
  ethics or ethical
• Ethics means moral, honest and good
• When 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

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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.

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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.
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What is the difference?
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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.
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• 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.

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Pathos

• is more about the audience..

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

• The emotions of the audience
• Pathos 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 act
• Type of appeal Emotional appeal
• We 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 they
• Reinforce logical arguments
• Use diction and imagery to create a bond with the
  reader in a human way. This is the power of
  words and images
• Often they are written as a story or about a
  situation in which people can relate

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PATHOS

• Pathos appeals rely on emotions and feelings to
  persuade the audience
• They are often direct, simple, and very powerful

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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?
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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.
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Does the emotion make you more sympathetic?
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Of course. You can still believe the argument is
valid, but it is important to realize that your
emotions are being manipulated.
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Other areas where this happens is during very
patriotic speeches in which you can almost
imagine hearing the national anthem playing in
the background.
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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
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If you can imagine music being played in the
background when you are reading or listening to a
speech, pathos is probably involved.
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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

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• 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

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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.

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Logos

• Logical Argument
• Logos is the use of hard facts, statistics, and
  logical argumentation.
• Makes your argument more valid, compelling or
  convincing
• Logic and rationality are highly valued in our
  society
• Logical 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

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LOGOS

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

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The most important part of logos is where the
author/speaker and audience members meet. Where
is the common ground between the two?
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Both sides of a discussion must have common
ground on which they can build in order to have a
discussion.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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• 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.

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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.

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• 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.

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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
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• 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
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• 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
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George W.s 13 sentence speech

• George 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.

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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
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CROWD U.S.A.! U.S.A.!THE PRESIDENT Thank you
all. I want you all to know --
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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.
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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.)
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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.)
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Analysis
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Pathos
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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
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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.
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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
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"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.
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Aristotle also classified pity appeals, which
suggest or state "that someone or something
helpless is being harmed"
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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.
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Logos
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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"
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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Warm-up Copy- Ways to Notice Persuasion

• Annotate 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 Wife
• Find, copy (exact quote) and label an example of
  logos, pathos and ethos in each text. 3 exs 2
  texts 6 total quotes
• Explain 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

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Advertising Project

• Locate 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 ad
• If 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 class
• Show 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