Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Seniors

Presentation

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English

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9th Grade

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Practice Problem

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Easy

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CCSS

RI.11-12.5, RI.9-10.5

Standards-aligned

Elizabeth Rauscher

Used 3+ times

FREE Resource

11 Slides • 17 Questions

Rhetoric

By Elizabeth Rauscher

Open Ended

How many holes does a straw have? One or Two?

Persuade me you are right.

Type response here

Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speaking and writing. The word comes from the ancient Greek word "rhetorike," which means "the art of speaking." Rhetoric involves using language effectively to inform, persuade, or motivate an audience.

Rhetoric

At its core, rhetoric is about three main elements:

- Ethos: Building credibility and trust with your audience

- Pathos: Appealing to emotions and feelings

- Logos: Using logic, facts, and reasoning

Rhetoric

ARISTOTLE was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BCE. He was an influential thinker and wrote on many subjects –from logic and ethics, to biology and metaphysics.

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.

A lot can be learned about the art of persuasion from these three concepts, and once understood, they can be easily applied to our own persuasive speaking and writing.

Rhetoric

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.

Ethos

How can you incorporate ethos?
• You can openly remind your audience who you are and why you are an authority on the subject. (‘As the leading researcher, I agree...’).

• You can establish authority more subtly through the use of jargon or specialized terms (‘My quantitative research in linguistic anthropology has shown...’).

• You can establish credibility by just using correct grammar and language, using solid reasoning and good arguments and therefore sounding credible and trustworthy.

Ethos

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. Pathos is the way of creating a persuasive argument by evoking an emotional response in the

audience/reader.

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

Pathos

How can you incorporate pathos?
• You can use descriptive language and imagery, which evokes emotions. (‘This life-saving dishwasher will enhance your life and lighten your load.’)

• You can identify values / emotions which relate particularly to your audience, and play on them. (‘I know you care for your family, so...’)

• You can use personal stories to appeal to the sympathies and emotions of your audience. (‘When I lost my job, I knew how important it was to...)

Pathos

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.

Logos can be a useful tool of persuasion because if you can ‘prove’ an argument through logical and sound reasoning, your audience is more likely to be persuaded.

Logos

How can you incorporate logos? \
• You can use research and statistics to back- up 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 you should brush regularly.’)

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

Logos

If you can include a combination of these three elements in your persuasive speaking and writing, you will appeal to your audience’s emotions, sense of reasoning and belief in you, and therefore your writing will be more convincing. Try to subtly weave ethos, pathos, and logos into your persuasive writing and speaking.

Multiple Choice