CO150—SPRING 2011

Rhetorical Appeals

What Are “Rhetorical Appeals”?

Rhetorical Appeals: Persuasive strategies used in arguments to support claims and respond to counterarguments

There are three main types of rhetorical appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos

Effective arguments generally use a combination of all three appeals

Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington (1963)

Logos

Logos: Appeal to reasonGreek for “word”Logos refers to the

internal consistency of the message: The clarity of the claim The logic of the reasons The reliability and

effectiveness of the evidence

The impact of logos on an audience is sometimes called the argument’s “logical appeal”

The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David (1787)

Ethos

Ethos: Appeal to ethicsGreek for “character”Ethos refers to the

credibility of the writerWays to build your ethos:

Use evidence from credible sources

Acknowledge and respect opposing views

Keep an open mindProofread!

The impact of ethos on an audience is sometimes called the argument’s “ethical appeal”

Pathos

Pathos: Appeal to emotionGreek for “suffering” or

“experience”Pathos appeals to the

audience’s needs, values, and emotional sensibilities

An appeal to pathos causes an audience to identify with the writer’s point of view

Often relies on narrative, which can turn abstractions of logic into something palpable and present

Ad 1: Coca-Cola• Who is the

audience?

• What is the purpose?

• What appeals are being made ?

• How are these appeals being made?

• Why are these appeals being used?

Ad 2: Camel Cigarettes• Who is the

audience?

• What is the purpose?

• What appeals are being made ?

• How are these appeals being made?

• Why are these appeals being used?

Ad 3: Skyy Vodka• Who is the

audience?

• What is the purpose?

• What appeals are being made ?

• How are these appeals being made?

• Why are these appeals being used?

Ad 1: 2011 Ford F-150 • Who is the

audience?

• What is the purpose?

• What appeals are being made ?

• How are these appeals being made?

• Why are these appeals being used?

TV Ads: Chrysler, Apple, Google• Who is the

audience?

• What is the purpose?

• What appeals are being made ?

• How are these appeals being made?

• Why are these appeals being used?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SKL254Y_jtc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V-20Qe4M8Y

https://www.youtube.com/user/Google?v=bo390-3ohW4

Group Work: Using Rhetorical Appeals

Split up into groups of three.You will get a slip of paper with the audience appeal

your group represents on it (keep this a secret!).Write a mini-argument in paragraph form, using the

strategies we discussed in relation to your particular appeal.

The topic is lowering the drinking age. Your audience is either MADD or a Colorado congressperson.

We’ll share these in class, so have one group member write down the argument you come up with and designate another group member to share it with us.

As a class, we’ll try to determine which audience appeal you used.