APPEALS TO ETHOS, PATHOS andLOGOS

Appeal Types Analysis • Ethos--credibility, reputation, or trustworthiness of a speaker. Ethos

refers to the established personal credentials of speaker (e.g. Ph.D. or other degree in relevant field, professional in high office, etc.) and the credentials established by composing a well-argued text.

• Ethos is built in the text when a speaker cites relevant, intelligent sources, even taking on the best voices of opposing viewpoints the way a boxer builds credibility by taking on the most worthy opponents. Speakers also build credibility by keeping good company in the form of publishing in highly respected, refereed, and in the case or presentations, presenting at important conferences or marches at which other highly credentialed speakers are presenting as well.

Examples: • Religion – the desire to follow the rules and behavior of one’s faith• Patriotism – the urge to place one’s country before personal needs• Standards – the desire to be a good citizen, good student, good parent, etc…• Humanitarianism – secular appeal to help others, save the environment, help the

helpless, etc.

Pathos--emotional resonance (tone, significance) .

Pathos refers to appeals that get us worked up-- particularly when we become tearful, angry, or fearful. This approach can be an important way to remind an audience to feel deeply about a subject. It can also be abused, causing people to feel at the expense of reasoning through an issue.They use :

• creativity – may use humor, word play, etc. to invoke positive emotions• moving stories and anecdotes that prove your opinion• music, color, art• using emotional language or “catchy words” to appeal to people’ s values or guilty consciences

or vivid description.• slanting . Omitting or not using information that may conflict with or weaken the author’s

opinion.• predicting extreme outcomes of events/dire predication in order to create a sense of urgency• specific examples

Logos--logic and reason.

• Loosely defined, logos refers to the use of logic, reasons, facts, statistics, data, and numbers. Logical appeals are aimed at the mind of the audience, their thinking side.

• Very often, logos seems tangible and touchable.• When a speaker or writer uses logical appeals,

he or she will avoid inflammatory language, and the writer will carefully connect its reasons to supporting evidence.