Transcript What Are “Rhetorical Appeals”?

What Are “Rhetorical Appeals”?
• Rhetorical Appeals: Persuasive
strategies used in arguments to
support claims and respond to
counterarguments
• Comes from Aristotle’s On
Rhetoric (2000 years old) and is
still used in all modern
rhetorics.
• There are three main types of
rhetorical appeals: logos,
ethos, and pathos
• Effective arguments generally
use a combination of all three
appeals
Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on
Washington (1963)
Logos
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Logos: Appeal to reason
Greek for “word”—English “logic”
Logos refers to the internal consistency of
the message:
– The clarity of the claim
– The logic of the reasons
– The reliability and effectiveness of the
evidence
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The impact of logos on an audience is
sometimes called the argument’s “logical
appeal”
Ask these questions:
– Does your message make sense? Are you
understandable?
– Is your message based on facts, statistics, and
evidence?
– Is your argument structure transparent?
– Will your call-to-action (if you have one) lead
to the desired outcome that you promise?
The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis
David (1787)
Ethos
• Ethos: Appeal to character
• Aristotle first defined as a
speaker’s “trustworthiness”
• Ethos refers to the credibility of
the writer
• Ways to build your ethos:
– Use evidence from credible sources
– Acknowledge and respect opposing
views
– Keep an open mind
– Proofread!
• The impact of ethos on an
audience is sometimes called
the argument’s “ethical appeal”
Pathos
• Pathos: Appeal to emotion
• Greek for “suffering” or
“experience”
• Pathos appeals to the
audience’s needs, values,
and emotional sensibilities
• An appeal to pathos causes
an audience to identify with
the writer’s point of view
• Often relies on narrative,
which can turn abstractions
of logic into something
palpable and present
Ad 1: Coca-Cola
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Who is the audience?
What is the purpose?
What appeals are being made ?
How are these appeals being
made?
Why are these appeals being
used?
Ad 2: Camel Cigarettes
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Who is the audience?
What is the purpose?
What appeals are being made ?
How are these appeals being
made?
Why are these appeals being
used?
TV Ads: Apple, Clorox, and
Chrysler
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Who is the audience?
What is the purpose?
What appeals are being made ?
How are these appeals being
made?
Why are these appeals being
used?
• http://www.youtube.com/
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• http://www.youtube.com/
watch?feature=player_profi
lepage&v=YoMdHLGHnZg
• http://www.youtube.com/
watch?feature=player_deta
ilpage&v=SKL254Y_jtc