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An introduction to the three main ways authors try to persuade their audience.
Imagine you want to stay out an hour later on Friday night. Would you tell your parents about your high grades, show them a video of a lonely teenager, or list the safety statistics of your neighborhood? The way you choose to argue determines if you get what you want.
Over 2,000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle realized that speakers use three main tools to persuade their audience. He called these the Rhetorical Appeals. Think of them as the 'ingredients' of a strong argument. If you leave one out, your argument might fall flat. The three appeals are Ethos (credibility), Pathos (emotion), and Logos (logic). Understanding these helps you not only become a better writer but also a smarter consumer of information. When you see an ad or hear a speech, you can ask yourself: 'How are they trying to flip my switch?'
Ethos is an appeal to credibility or character. It answers the question: 'Why should I listen to you?' A speaker uses ethos by showing they are an expert, a good person, or someone with experience. For example, if a professional athlete endorses a brand of sneakers, they are using ethos because they know about sports. In writing, you build ethos by using correct grammar, citing reliable sources, and sounding fair. If the audience doesn't trust the speaker, the rest of the argument usually fails.
Quick Check
If a famous heart surgeon gives a presentation on healthy eating, which rhetorical appeal are they primarily using?
Answer
Ethos (Credibility/Authority)
Pathos is an appeal to the audience's emotions. This is often the most powerful appeal because humans are feeling creatures. Pathos can trigger joy, fear, pity, anger, or even pride. Advertisements for animal shelters often use photos of sad-looking puppies to make you feel pity and want to donate. In a speech, a storyteller might use descriptive language to make you feel the 'pain' of a situation. While pathos is effective, it can sometimes be used to distract people from the facts, so it is important to look for the logic behind the feelings.
Consider this sentence: 'If we don't act now to save the park, our children will never know the joy of running through the grass or hearing the birds sing.'
1. Identify the goal: To save the park. 2. Identify the emotion: It uses 'joy' and the fear of 'loss' to make the reader feel sad or protective. 3. Label the appeal: This is Pathos.
Logos is an appeal to logic and reason. It uses facts, statistics, and clear evidence to support a claim. If an argument follows a logical path—like 'If is true, and is true, then must be true'—it is using logos. For example, '90% of students who study for 20 minutes a day improve their grades' is a logos-based argument. It focuses on the 'brain' rather than the 'heart.' Logos is essential for academic writing and scientific debates where proof is more important than personality.
Quick Check
Which appeal is being used when a car commercial mentions that the vehicle gets 40 miles per gallon and has a 5-star safety rating?
Answer
Logos (Logic/Facts)
A student is running for Class President and says: 'As your current Class Secretary (Ethos), I know that 70% of you want better lunch options (Logos). Don't let another year go by feeling hungry and ignored by the cafeteria (Pathos)!'
1. Ethos: Mentions their current role to show experience. 2. Logos: Uses a statistic (70%) to prove a point. 3. Pathos: Uses words like 'hungry' and 'ignored' to spark emotion.
Analyze this complex argument: 'Our company has been the industry leader for 50 years. Research shows our new filter removes 99.9% of toxins. Imagine the peace of mind you will have knowing your family is drinking pure, safe water.'
1. Step 1: 'Industry leader for 50 years' = Ethos (Experience/Trust). 2. Step 2: 'Removes 99.9% of toxins' = Logos (Data/Science). 3. Step 3: 'Imagine the peace of mind' = Pathos (Emotional comfort/Safety).
Which rhetorical appeal focuses on the 'character' or 'reliability' of the person speaking?
A scientist presents a chart showing that global temperatures have risen by over the last century. This is an example of:
An argument is usually weaker if it tries to use more than one rhetorical appeal at the same time.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to remember the 'Shield, Heart, and Gear' icons. Can you explain what each one stands for without looking at your notes?
Practice Activity
Watch three television commercials today. For each one, write down which of the three appeals (Ethos, Pathos, or Logos) they used most to try to sell you the product.