Modes of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos

Definition: Persuading through logic, common sense, and factual information to make an argument appear reasonable and difficult to refute.
Key Features: Uses clear, authoritative, and factual language.
Content Types: Expert opinions, statistics from reliable sources, and cause-and-effect evidence.
Example: In the speech "The Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy" ( $August\,27th,\,2010$ ), Ben Bernanke used logos by citing that real household spending in the United States grew in the range of $1$ to $2$ percent at annual rates.

Definition: Persuading by evoking strong emotional responses such as anger, sadness, joy, or disgust.
Key Features: Uses descriptive, inflated, or flowery language.
Content Types: Emotional or loaded language, figurative language to create mental imagery, and repetition.
Example: In the "I Have a Dream" speech ( $August\,28th,\,1963$ ), Martin Luther King Jr. employed pathos by describing followers who were "battered by the storms of persecution" and "staggered by the winds of police brutality."

Definition: Persuading by tapping into the audience's core values and sense of right and wrong, including justice, honesty, and citizenship.
Key Features: Language can be emotional, assured, or blunt.
Content Types: Inclusive language, direct appeals to moral standards, rhetorical questions, and emphatic value statements.
Example: In his Democratic Presidential Candidate Acceptance Speech ( $August\,28th,\,2008$ ), Barack Obama used ethos by pledging to restore America's "moral standing" and meet challenges like poverty, genocide, and climate change.