THE ART OF

RHETORIC

Rhetoric = The Art of Persuasion

The history of rhetoric and the concepts of persuasion began in Greece.

Meet Aristotle Aristotle was a

famous Greek philosopher who studied the art of persuasion.

Plato, another famous Greek philosopher, was his teacher.

Translated from Greek, the word “philosopher” means

one who loves wisdom.

phil soph er philosopher

love wisdom one who

philosopher

The Art of Rhetoric

AristotlePlato

In approximately 300 B.C.E., Aristotle, wrote a book entitled, The Art of Rhetoric. In his book, Aristotle identified the three methods of persuasion: PATHOS, LOGOS, ETHOS

LOGOS = logic facts reason rationales (if…then…)

Pathos, Logos, EthosPATHOS = pity

appeal to emotion/sex appeal/senses “awwh” factorappeal to memory or common experiencepoetic persuasion (figurative language)

ETHOS = ethicscredibility/trustworthyauthority/superiority in society or subjectdoctors, judges, celebrities

Pathos• Pathos = pity

(emotion)

• Pathos: related to the words pathetic, sympathy, and empathy

• Accept a claim based on how it makes you feel without fully analyzing the rationale behind the claim

• May persuade you with fear, love, patriotism, guilt, hate or joy

• Pathos is the use of emotional appeal.

Pathos, cont’d.

Logos• Logos = logic• An “if…then…”

argument• Logos refers to any

attempt to appeal to the intellect.

• The audience relies on reasoning and facts to make its decision.

• Numbers, polls and statistics are also examples of the persuasive use of logic. 

• Ethos = Ethics

• Refers to the trustworthiness of the speaker/writer.  

• The speaker must establish moral credibility and expertise in his or her field in the minds of the audience

When a judge comments on legal precedent, audiences tend to listen because it is the job of a judge to know the nature of past legal cases.

Ethos

Persuasion in AdvertisingReview each of the following

advertisements.Each one uses persuasion to sell a

product or idea.Review each ad and determine which

type of persuasion is being used.

Ethos, Pathos, or

Logos?

#1Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?#2Pathos, logos, or ethos?

#3Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos,

or Logos?

#4Pathos, logos, or ethos?

#5Pathos, logos, or ethos?

#6Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?#7Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos, or

Logos?#8Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?#9Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?#10Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos, Logos?

#11Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Ethos, Pathos,

or Logos?

#12Pathos, logos, or ethos?

Using Pathos, Logos and Ethos in a Persuasive Essay• In a good persuasive essay, all three types

of persuasion should be employed. • Begin with ethos (ethics) to provide

reasons and connect with your audience.• Next, employ logos (logic) and make your

point with evidence and logic.• Finally, end with pathos (appeal to

emotions) to get your reader on your side.

TOPIC: Should we pursue the

development of alternative “fuels” to run our vehicles

 Position: Disagree – We should

NOT use other “fuels”

Pathos—Writing SampleThe changing of fuel types will cause an increase in the cost of shipping food, which will directly impact the overall health of our nation. Because many people in our country live on a fixed income or below the poverty level, the extra cost for food will be a burden for them. Many elderly people may simply starve to death because they cannot afford to buy groceries. Despite the fact that the United States is one of the richest countries in the world, the rising cost of food means some children will be denied healthy food choices. Poor families will resort to cheaper fast food which will cause health issues in young children.

Logos—Writing SampleIt would be extremely costly to change from gas fueled vehicles to other forms or means of fuel. Gas stations would have to change the pump systems that are used now to a new pump system that would be costly to the gas station owners. This would raise the price of another form of fuel because the consumer will have to absorb the difference in cost. The car industry would have to create different types of gas tanks and fuel systems for vehicles and prices on cars would increase. Another fuel system would create problems for people who own cars that are fueled by gas. We would have to phase in the new cars with the new fuel systems and this would also be costly to the consumer.  

Ethos—Writing SampleOur economy is pretty fragile now. The vehicle manufacturers like Ford have had to close factories. This affects. People’s ability to spend money which means less spending money coming back into the economy. Stores have to lay-off workers and reduce the amount of products they make. The DOW goes down which means the dollar does not have the same value as it did before and other countries will not trade with us. Why are American soldiers fighting for us in Iraq and losing their lives for us if we turn to another form of fuel?