The Art of Rhetoric: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

The Art of Rhetoric: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Open Ended

You are at the mall with your mom. Money is tight, but you see a pair of shoes that you MUST have. What do you say to convince your mom that she should buy you the shoes?

Poll

In general, are you good at persuading people?

• Yes

• No

• I would like to get better at it.

ARISTOTLE was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BCE. One area, in which Aristotle was particularly interested, was rhetoric. That is, the art of persuasive speaking or writing. He even wrote a whole book entitled ‘On Rhetoric’ in which he explains his theories of persuasive language and speech. Most significantly, in this work he expounds on the concepts of ethos, logos and pathos, as tools for persuasive language.

Ethos

Ethos is a Greek word meaning ‘character’. In terms of persuasive language, it is an appeal to authority and credibility. Ethos is a means of convincing an audience of the reliable character or credibility of the speaker/writer, or the credibility of the argument. It is an important tool of persuasion because if you can get your audience to see you (or your argument) as credible and trustworthy, it will be much easier to persuade them. 

Multiple Choice

Is this Ethos?

“We really should try that recipe. Someone told me that it was good.”

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Is this Ethos?

“The research – conducted by professors at Harvard University – suggests that you should learn a second language."

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

You are trying to convince your mom to let you get a tattoo. Write an argument that relies on ethos.

Pathos

Pathos is a Greek word meaning ‘suffering’ or ‘experience’, and it is used in persuasive speech as an appeal to the emotions of the audience.

You can use pathos when trying to persuade by appealing to an audience’s hopes and dreams, by playing on their fears or worries, or by appealing to their particular beliefs or ideals.

Multiple Choice

Is this a good example of Pathos?

“Don’t be the last person to get one. You don’t want to be the laughing stock of your school!”

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Is this a good example of Pathos?

“Dentists all over the world are telling their patients the same things. You must floss regularly.”

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

Write a sentence or two trying to persuade your teacher not to give you homework. Use pathos.

Logos

Logos is a Greek word meaning ‘a word’ or ‘reason’. In rhetoric, it is an appeal to logic and reason. It is used to persuade an audience by logical thought, fact and rationality.

You can use research and statistics to backup your arguments. (‘87% of students benefit from textbooks, so...’)

You can use logical processes to explain your point – ‘if this… then that...’ (‘If you don’t want gum disease, then brush regularly.’)

You must give convincing, solid evidence and reasons to support your claims. (‘I need a car: it would make me more independent.) 

Multiple Choice

Is this Logos?

“I need new jeans. Everyone in my class has new jeans.”

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Is this Logos?

“Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. So why start smoking?”

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

You are trying to convince your classmates not to drink and drive. Write a statement that incorporates LOGOS.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

In Commercials

Multiple Choice

The Sprite ad used

• Ethos

• Pathos

• Logos

Multiple Choice

The iPhone X ad used...

• Logos

• Pathos

• Ethos

• Logos and Pathos

• Logos and Ethos

Open Ended

Was this ad effective? Why or why not? What type of appeal or appeals was the ad using?

Open Ended

Was this an effective use of Pathos? What emotions did you feel while watching it?

Poll

I understand the terms: ethos, pathos, logos

• Yes

• No

• Sort of

• I need more practice

Poll

I can recognize when writers use ethos, pathos, and logos.

• Yes

• No

• I need more practice