Introduction to ethos pathos and logos worksheet answers

Persuasive Language introduction to ethos, pathos & logos ethos ARISTOTLE was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BCE. He was an influential thinker and wrote on many subjects – from logic and ethics, to biology and metaphysics. One area, in which Aristotle was particularly interested, was rhetoric. That is, the art of persuasive speaking or writing. He even wrote a whole book entitled ‘On Rhetoric’ in which he explains his theories of persuasive language and speech. Most significantly, in this work he expounds on the concepts of ethos, logos and pathos, as tools for persuasive language. A lot can be learned about the art of persuasion from these three concepts, and once understood, they can be easily applied to our own persuasive speaking and writing. Ethos is a Greek word meaning ‘character’. In terms of persuasive language, it is an appeal to authority and credibility. Ethos is a means of convincing an audience of the reliable character or credibility of the speaker/writer, or the credibility of the argument. It is an important tool of persuasion because if you can get your audience to see you (or your argument) as credible and trustworthy, it will be much easier to persuade them. pathos Pathos is a Greek word meaning ‘suffering’ or ‘experience’, and it is used in persuasive speech as an appeal to the emotions of the audience. Pathos is the way of creating a persuasive argument by evoking an emotional response in the audience/reader. You can use pathos when trying to persuade, by appealing to an audience’s hopes and dreams, playing on their fears or worries, or appealing to their particular beliefs or ideals. logos Logos is a Greek word meaning ‘a word’ or ‘reason’. In rhetoric, it is an appeal to logic and reason. It is used to persuade an audience by logical thought, fact and rationality. Logos can be a useful tool of persuasion because if you can ‘prove’ an argument through logical and sound reasoning, your audience is more likely to be persuaded. If you can include a combination of these three elements in your persuasive speaking and writing, you will appeal to your audience’s emotions, sense of reasoning and belief in you, and therefore your writing will be more convincing. Try to subtly weave ethos, pathos and logos into your persuasive writing and speaking. © Stacey Lloyd 2014 Ethos is an appeal to ethics; it is a means of convincing the audience of the character or credibility of the persuader. PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE How can you incorporate ethos? • You can openly remind your audience who you are and why you are an authority on the subject. (‘As the leading researcher, I agree…’). • You can establish authority more subtly through the use of jargon or specialized terms (‘My quantitative research in linguistic anthropology has shown…’). • You can establish credibility by just using correct grammar and language, using solid reasoning and good arguments and therefore sounding credible and trustworthy. Why use ethos ? EXAMPLES: » I have been married for 58 years and I can tell you that he will not be a good husband to you. » Having written ten successful novels myself, I can tell you that this book is worth buying. » My friend, who has a PhD in nutritional science, says that we should eat fewer carbohydrates. If your audience believe you to be a qualified, authoritative figure, or an expert in a subject, they are more likely to be persuaded by your argument.