Ethos, Pathos and Logos

Dripping Springs H.S. ENGL III n Mr. Jeff Olsen

Fall 2013

Textbook definition

An argument can be any text – whether written, spoken or visual – that expresses a point of view.

There are three appeals that one can use when constructing an argument.

The three rhetorical appealsETHOS – The speaker’s integrity or

honesty; does he or she have the audience’s best interest at heart?

PATHOS – The emotional appeal of the message.

LOGOS – The logical appeal; Do the facts and figures support the argument as being the most practical approach to the problem?

Let’s start with ethosPerhaps a better way to look at ethos

is to look at an example of someone speaking with a lack of ethos.

Let’s start with ethosNo matter what you think of President

Clinton – supporter or opponent – there can be no doubt that at that moment in his presidency, for whatever reason, he was not being honest.He did not have his audience’s interest at heart. He was, simply,lying.

Rhetoric and Ethos Before we listen to others, we usually

must respect their authority; admire their integrity and motives; or at least be willing to acknowledge what they stand for.

Being a good rhetorician can often mean being a good listener, even if we disapprove of the message.

Rhetoric and Ethos Ethos can be established through

narration, as many speakers rely on a narrative account of events to show how they arrived at their present conclusion, or to describe how they fought a fair fight, or produced a better product, or overcame a difficulty.

Examples of Developing Ethos through Narration

In the summer of 2000, United Airlines CEO Jim Goodwin relied on his role as an authority figure within his company to apologize for reports of the airline’s poor customer service. His approach was to use his position as the ultimate spokesman for the company to convince potential passengers of his sincerity.

Examples of Developing Ethos through Narration

But in the summer of 2008, United passenger Dave Carroll had a troubling experience. He said his guitar was broken while he and fellow passengers witnessed baggage-handling crew throwing guitars on the tarmac at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. He arrived at his destination to discover that his $3,500 Taylor guitar had indeed suffered a broken neck.

Frustrated by a lack of customer service, he used his expertise to pen a song about his experience.

Examples of Developing Ethos through Narration

Consider this speech by Lou Gehrig, a famous baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating and terminal condition.

How does his ethos make the speech a historic one?

Examples of Developing Ethos through Narration

Why is this an effective speech? Partly because Gehrig understood that rhetoric is always situational: it has a context and a purpose or goal that the speaker or writer wants to achieve.

Examples of Developing Ethos through Narration

Consider some messages you have heard regarding the dangers of drunk driving? What messages are most effective? Which ones are least effective?

Examples of Developing Ethos through Narration

Now, watch the following public service announcement. Does its message resonate more or less strongly than others you have seen and heard.

Moving on, let’s explore pathos

The second appeal to consider is pathos – the emotional appeal. This is one you probably see the most as you watch television. Why? Well, the goal of most advertisers is to connect with you emotionally.

PathosAs a writer, it’s OK – perhaps even

encouraged – to use an emotional appeal to capture your reader’s interest. However, we find that messages based solely on an appeal to the heart can often be shallow, lacking in substance to truly persuade an audience of the validity of the argument.

PathosHave you ever seen a toddler in a

grocery store aisle begging for a sugar frosted corn flake? Most likely not. But is it possible a toddler might be able to identify Tony the Tiger?

Take a look at these classic Super Bowl ads and consider what emotional connections they’re trying to make.

PathosSo it’s one thing to buy breakfast

cereal or hire a plumber based on emotion – but what are some possible drawbacks to the idea that humans respond so easily to pathos in advertising?

Well, let’s consider how we choose our political leaders.

The Ike, LBJ, Reagan, Bush and Obama ads

Outline the Stasis of the Argument1. What is it?2. What is its origin?3. What is its nature? (Is it positive or

negative? Does it present ethos, pathos or logos?)

4. What should be done about it?

LogosHow can we apply the third appeal –

logos, or logic – to our lives? For starters, let’s consider that logic

isn’t exclusively the domain of academics working in colleges, universities and other research fields.

Is this “logical”?"Better to be caught

with than without, because you never know if that guy gonna freeze up. And I say that to say this. A couple of guys that got popped, if they'dahad things on 'em, they'd prob'ly would still be here. And you can put one plus one together and add that up and figga out what I'm tryin' to say.“

– Snoop Dogg