Logos, Ethos, Pathos - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Logos, Ethos, Pathos

Aristotelian AppealsSlide2

Essential Question

What are Rhetorical Appeals and how can I identify and use them in informational text and in my writing?Slide3

The Rhetorical Triangle

A way of thinking about what's involved in any

communication/persuasion scenario

.

The 3 elements of The Rhetorical Triangle are:

a

speaker or writer

(who performs the rhetoric),

an

audience

(the people addressed), and

a

purpose

(the message communicated with the audience) Slide4

The Rhetorical Triangle

Writer/Speaker

Purpose/Message

AudienceSlide5

Aristotle’s Rhetoric Appeals

Rhetoric (n) -

the art of speaking or writing to effectively persuade.

According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion." He described three main forms of

rhetoric appeals:

Ethos, Logos, and PathosSlide6

Appeals to the Audience

Logos

Ethos

Pathos

Identifiable in almost

all argumentsSlide7

Logos

Appeals to logic, through statistics, data, facts and examples

Reasoning that the author uses

Logical

evidence is foundSlide8

Types of Logos Appeals

Theories/scientific facts

Indicated meanings or reasons (because…)

Literal or historical analogies

Definitions

Factual data and statistics

Quotations

Citations from experts and authorities

Informed opinionsExamples (from real life)

Personal anecdotesSlide9

Effect on Audience

Cognitive or rational response

Readers feel: “that makes sense”, “seems logical”, or “that doesn’t prove anything

”Slide10

Logos Example

“Some 35 million Americans regularly buy products that claim to be earth-friendly, while an additional 7 million currently have solar panels installed on their home.”

“It may be better to keep your old tube TV instead of buying the newest LCD screen, because the older sets use less power than a plasma TV.”Slide11

Logos: example

Here we see a chart showing a correlation between the fall of pirates and rise of natural disasters. Are you convinced by these statistics?Slide12

Ethos

Appeals to ethics by making the audience believe that the author is credible and trustworthy.

+ Character traits

Look at how an author builds credibility and trustworthinessSlide13

Ways to Develop Ethos

Author’s profession/background

Author’s publication

Appear sincere, fair-minded, knowledgeable

Conceding to opposition when appropriate

Morally/ethically likeable

Appropriate language for audience

Appropriate vocabulary

Correct grammarProfessional formatSlide14

Effect on Audience

Reader sees author as reliable, trustworthy, competent, and credible

Reader might respect the author or his viewsSlide15

Ethos Example

If you are a successful professional basketball

player

—

like

Michael

Jordan

, for example--talking about basketball to other pro athletes, then your ethos is strong with that particular audience even before you open your mouth or take pen to paper. Your audience assumes you are

knowledgeable

about your subject because of your experience. Now, if you are instead a baseball player talking about basketball, then your extrinsic ethos is not as strong because you haven't been played pro basketball, but you're still a professional athlete and know something about that kind of life.Slide16

Ethos Example

An officer of the law has inartistic ethos because of the station they hold (we trust them because of their position).

However, that same officer can lose our trust by their actions, as in the case of Rodney King.Slide17

Pathos

Appeals to emotion through connotative language and imagery.

Words or passages an author uses to activate emotionsSlide18

Types of Pathos Appeals

Emotionally loaded language

Vivid descriptions

Emotional examples

Anecdotes, testimonies, narratives about emotional experiences/events

Figurative language

Emotional tone (humor, sarcasm, disappointment, excitementSlide19

Effect on Audience

Evokes an emotional response

Persuasion by emotion (usually fear, sympathy, empathy, anger)Slide20

Pathos Example

During the final stretch of David Ritter’s

hourlong

trip to middle school, he pulls a cell phone from his jeans and calls his mother in Washington Heights to say he is out of the subway and moments from Salk Middle School.

“It’s the one thing I can cross off my list of things to worry about,” his mother Elizabeth Ritter said. “It’s a required part of our everyday life.”Slide21

Pathos Example

"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.Slide22

The best arguments contain more than one type of appeal!

It's important to recognize that

ethos

,

pathos

, and

logos

appeals are

rarely found

independently of each other, and that complex and effective persuasion usually involves all of them in some combination. Slide23

Rhetorical Devices Used by Speakers and Writers

Rhetorical devices are the nuts and bolts of speech and writing; the parts that make a communication work. Separately, each part of is meaningless, but once put together they create a powerful effect on the listener/reader.

Parallelism

Repetition

Allusion

Varied Sentence LengthSlide24

Parallelism

Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or

meter.

Writing structures that are grammatically parallel helps the reader understand the points better because they flow more smoothly.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts, who still wonders, who still questionsSlide25

Repetition

Repetition

is

a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to make an idea clearer

Repetition can be effective in creating a sense of structure and power. In both speech and literature, repeating small phrases can ingrain an idea in the minds of the audience.

Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can.

Slide26

Allusion

An allusion is

a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural,

literary,

or political significance

By using allusion, you not only associate yourself with the ideas of the original text but also create a bond with the audience by evoking share knowledge

The words government of the people, by the people, and for the people are lifted from the “Gettysburg Address”Slide27

Varied Sentence Length

Varying the sentence length is always a good way to strengthen any writing style, be it speech writing or essays.

“

To the best campaign team ever assembles in the history of politics: you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.”Slide28

A More Complete Rhetorical Triangle

Writer/Speaker

Appeal to Ethos

(Credibility of Writer)

Purpose/Message

Appeal to Logos

(Facts, Research, Data)

Audience

Appeal to Pathos

(Emotions, Beliefs,

and Values)