CH 15 Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Introduction to Rhetorical Appeals

What are Rhetorical Appeals? They are ways to convince people by using different methods. The main types of these are ethos, pathos, and logos.

Why are they important? They help us understand how feelings, values, and logic can influence our choices every day.

Types of Appeals

Ethos

• What is it? Ethos is about convincing people by showing you are trustworthy and knowledgeable.

• How to use it:

  • Show that you have good character and intentions.

  • Build your credibility by sharing your achievements or experiences.

  • Quote experts to make your point more believable.

Pathos

• What is it? Pathos is about touching people's feelings to persuade them.

• How to use it:

  • Tell stories that make people feel something, like empathy.

  • Use strong, descriptive words to spark emotional responses.

  • Create a sense of fear to motivate people to take action on important issues.

Logos

• What is it? Logos is all about logic and facts to persuade someone.

• How to use it:

  • Present clear and objective data, like statistics.

  • Use logical reasoning to argue your point.

  • Make comparisons to help explain causes and effects.

How to Analyze Appeals in Arguments

• Look for the claims made by the person speaking or writing.

• Think about what values and beliefs the audience holds.

• Identify parts of the message that connect to ethos (trust), pathos (feelings), and logos (logic).

Why Analyze? This helps you decide if you should agree or disagree with an argument and improves your own skills in persuading others.

Examples of Appeals

• Ethos in Ads: An advertisement might say, “Most doctors recommend this product,” which uses an authority figure to gain trust.

• Pathos in Marketing: An ad might show sad stories about families to make you feel compassion for a cause, like helping immigrants.

• Logos in Arguments: Using statistics about diseases to stress why vaccinations are important is a logical argument.

Conclusion

• Good arguments use a mix of ethos, pathos, and logos. You should analyze these parts to understand how strong an argument is and how you might respond to it.