Download Ethos, Pathos and Logos - Staff Portal Camas School District

Rhetoric
0 Rhetoric (n) - the art of speaking or writing
effectively (Webster's Definition).
0 According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability, in each
particular case, to see the available means of
persuasion."
0 He described three main forms of rhetoric: Ethos,
Logos, and Pathos.
Logos
0 “Logos” is Greek for word
0 refers to the internal consistency of the message--the
clarity of the claim
0 the logic of its reasons, and the effectiveness of its
supporting evidence.
0 The impact of logos on an audience is sometimes
called the argument's logical appeal.
0 Thinking about logos often leads us to look at logical
fallacies which allow us to see the fallacies in what a
writer sees as logical appeal.
The importance of logos in
writing….
0 Make the argument logical
0 Provides a premise- or a main idea- an argument
should contain other elements, but the same premise
should be scattered throughout the entire essay,
editorial, speech….
0 The logic of an argument allows the writer to then use
pathos (emotion) and ethos (credibility) in their
argument
Incorporating logos into your
writing…
0 inductive logic: giving your readers a bunch of similar
examples and then drawing from them a general
proposition.
0 This logic is pretty simple and linear…you make a statement,
provide examples and then draw a conclusion.
0 deductive enthymeme: giving your readers a few general
propositions and then drawing from them a specific truth.
-This argument resembles: such-'n-such is true and such'n-such is true and such-'n-such is true and everybody
agrees on this other thing, then-poof, stands to reason, a
new truth
A bit o’ history on logic…
0 Modern society favors inductive reasoning…it appears
to be more black and white….
0 Often called “scientific method”
0 Inductive reasoning seems more tangible to the
reader…and it’s much easier to create an inductive
argument as we’re more practiced at it.
Ethos
0 the speaker’s or author’s credibility
0 Persuasion from ethos establishes the speaker's or
writer's good character
0 historically, ethos were established by a family’s
reputation in the community
0 How has this changed in modern society?
The importance of ethos in
writing
0 Given our culture's privileges/rights of free speech
and personal equality, however, we have enormous
possibilities for the appeal from ethos any writer well
versed in his or her subject and well spoken about it
can gain credibility. This kind of persuasion comes
from what a person says and how a person says it, not
from any prejudice (pre-judging) of the author.
Incorporating ethos in
writing…
it’s easy!
0 What makes you respect someone?
-They tell the truth- which is what you should do in your writing
-They take into account the opinions of others- which is what
you should do in your writing
-They put thought and time into their daily activities and livesas you should when you write.
- They care- consider caring about what you write- the words
you use, the sentences you form, the style you create.
- They stand up for what they believe in- the world is not black
and white, nor are opinions.
Pathos
0 Appeal to the reader’s identity and emotions
0 “pathos” is the Greek word for suffering or experience
0 Readers feel what the writer feels
The importance of pathos in
writing
0 Writers want the reader to identify with them.
0 Refers to both the emotional and the imaginative
impact of the message on an audience
0 the power with which the writer's message moves the
audience to decision or action
When we care about what we write, an emotional
response is inevitable.
Incorporating pathos into
writing….
0 Direct appeal rarely works…ie “You should be crying
right now this story is so sad.”
0 Stories or other narratives generally elicit pathos
0 Description, description, description!!!
0 Think about today’s politicians…Mitt Romney,
President Obama…they’re all about pathos.
Your turn
0 In your group, convince me (lover of all chewy things)
that I should eat your bag of candy first. Consider your
new argumentation tools.
On a more serious note …
0 The AP debate….read the article posted by the Texas
Academy of Math and Science.
0 In two or more paragraphs- defend the validity of AP
courses in public high schools.