The 3 Rhetorical Appeals

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The 3 Rhetorical Appeals
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Appeals to Logic

• The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade
  your audience that your ideas are valid, or more
  valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher
  Aristotle divided the means of persuasion,
  appeals, into three categories--Ethos, Pathos,
  Logos. (Durham Tech Community College)

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ETHOS
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What is Ethos?

• Ethos appeals to the audiences ethics and
  morals. It creates trust between the audience and
  the writer, which ultimately supports the
  argument because if the audience trusts the
  writer, they are more likely to be convinced and
  take the writers side.

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When is it appropriate?

• Ethos is used to show good character and the
  authors reliability.

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Examples

• "I have pledged myself and my colleagues in the
  cabinet to a continuous encouragement of
  initiative, responsibility and energy in serving
  the public interest. Let every public servant
  know, whether his post is high or low, that a
  man's rank and reputation in this Administration
  will be determined by the size of the job he
  does, and not by the size of his staff, his
  office or his budget. Let it be clear that this
  Administration recognizes the value of dissent
  and daring -- that we greet healthy controversy
  as the hallmark of healthy change. Let the public
  service be a proud and lively career. And let
  every man and woman who works in any area of our
  national government, in any branch, at any level,
  be able to say with pride and with honor in
  future years 'I served the United States
  Government in that hour of our nation's
  need.'"-John F. Kennedy

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PATHOS
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What is Pathos?
Pathos is the emotional appeal through writing.
It uses emotion to persuade the audience of
thinking a certain way. Pathos is used when the
reader believes something based on how they feel
or what emotions were used.
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When is it appropriate?

• Pathos is used when the author is trying to
  convince the audience to support their claim by
  getting them to feel a certain emotion. The
  author tends to evoke pity from their audience
  through pathos.

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Examples

• We are more compassionate than a government that
  lets veterans sleep on our streets and families
  slide into poverty that sits on its hands while
  a major American city drowns before our eyes.
  -Barack Obama Night Before the Election
  Speech Manassas, Prince William County,
  Virginia November 3, 2008
• "I am not unmindful that some of you have come
  here out of great trials and tribulations. Some
  of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells.
  And some of you have come from areas where your
  quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by
  the storms of persecution and staggered by the
  winds of police brutality. You have been the
  veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work
  with the faith that unearned suffering is
  redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to
  Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to
  Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the
  slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing
  that somehow this situation can and will be
  changed.- I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
  Jr. August 28th, 1963.

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LOGOS
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What is Logos?

• Logos is persuasive argument through logical
  reasoning. It mainly focuses on arguing a claim
  by showing the logical explanations behind it.
• It is Greek for word and refers to the clarity
  of the argument, how effective the supporting
  arguments are, and the logical reasoning. Because
  of this it is also called the logical appeal,
  logical proof, and rational appeal.

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When is it appropriate?

• Logos is used when an author is trying to explain
  his or her point of view through the use of
  logical reasoning. This is important in any
  number of essays, particularly scholarly articles
  or other types of formal writing.
• It is used when an author wants to argue their
  point by citing sources with correct facts and
  figures, clarifying historical facts, and citing
  experts on the subject they are trying to
  explain.

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Examples

• Nevertheless it represents eighty-five percent
  of the members of the Greek Parliament who were
  chosen in an election last year. Foreign
  observers, including 692 Americans, considered
  this election to be a fair expression of the
  views of the Greek people.-The Truman Doctrine
• Two major studies from military intelligence
  experts have warned our leaders about the
  dangerous national security implications of the
  climate crisis, including the possibility of
  hundreds of millions of climate refugees
  destabilizing nations around the world. Just two
  days ago, 27 senior statesmen and retired
  military leaders warned of the national security
  threat from an energy tsunami that would be
  triggered by a loss of our access to foreign oil.
  Meanwhile, the war in Iraq continues, and now the
  war in Afghanistan appears to be getting
  worse. -Al Gore "A Generational Challenge to
  Repower America" July 17th 2008

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Works Cited

• Arizona State University. Logos, Ethos and
  Pathos. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. lt
  http//www.public.asu.edu/macalla/logosethospatho
  s.htmlgt
• Durham Tech Community College. "Ethos, Pathos,
  and Logos." Durham Tech Courses Server. Durham
  Tech. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. lthttp//courses.durhamtec
  h.edu/perkins/aris.htmlgt.
• Gore, Al. A Genreational Challenge to Repower
  America. DAR Congressional Hall, Washington
  D.C.. 17 July 2008.
• Kennedy, John F. State of the Union Message.
  Congress, Washington D.C. 30 January 1961.
• Nordquist, Richard. "Logos." Grammar and
  Composition - Homepage of About Grammar and
  Composition. About.com. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
  lthttp//grammar.about.com/od/il/g/logosterm.htmgt.
• Pathos Ethos Logos. Ethos, Pathos, Logos
  Explanation and Examples. 2011. Web. 28 Nov.
  2011. lt http//pathosethoslogos.com/gt