A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals . . .
The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or
more valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the means of
persuasion, appeals, into three categories--Ethos, Pathos, Logos.
Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We
tend to believe people whom we respect. One of the central problems of argumentation is to
project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words
making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone
who is likable and worthy of respect.
Pathos (Emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look
at texts ranging from classic essays to contemporary advertisements to see how pathos,
emotional appeals, are used to persuade. Language choice affects the audience's emotional
response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.
Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning. This will be the most important
technique we will study, and Aristotle's favorite. We'll look at deductive and inductive
reasoning, and discuss what makes an effective, persuasive reason to back up your claims.
Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, and cannot be emphasized enough. We'll study
the types of support you can use to substantiate your thesis, and look at some of the common
logical fallacies, in order to avoid them in your writing.
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.
Logos (Greek for 'word') refers to the internal consistency of the message--the clarity of the
claim, the logic of its reasons, and the effectiveness of its supporting evidence. The impact of
logos on an audience is sometimes called the argument's logical appeal.
Ethos (Greek for 'character') refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the writer or
speaker. Ethos is often conveyed through tone and style of the message and through the way
the writer or speaker refers to differing views. It can also be affected by the writer's reputation
as it exists independently from the message--his or her expertise in the field, his or her
previous record or integrity, and so forth. The impact of ethos is often called the argument's
'ethical appeal' or the 'appeal from credibility.'
[P]athos (Greek for 'suffering' or 'experience') is often associated with emotional appeal. But
a better equivalent might be 'appeal to the audience's sympathies and imagination.' An
appeal to pathos causes an audience not just to respond emotionally but to identify with the
writer's point of view--to feel what the writer feels. In this sense, pathos evokes a meaning
implicit in the verb 'to suffer'--to feel pain imaginatively.... Perhaps the most common way of
conveying a pathetic appeal is through narrative or story, which can turn the abstractions of
logic into something palpable and present. The values, beliefs, and understandings of the
writer are implicit in the story and conveyed imaginatively to the reader. Pathos thus refers to
both the emotional and the imaginative impact of the message on an audience, the power
with which the writer's message moves the audience to decision or action.