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Rhetorical Devices: Ethos, Logos, Pathos

What’s Rhetoric? • Rhetoric – something expressed in terms to persuade somebody or argue a point • Rhetorical Devices– tactics used to aid in the argument or persuasion of an audience (ethos, logos, and pathos)

First, let’s watch a short video….

• http://youtu.be/x4tTugqBkJU

Ethos: Ethical Appeal Using ‘ Ethos ’, or ‘ ethical appeal ’ is an attempt to get a ‘stamp of approval’, ‘thumbs up’, or ‘like’ from your audience in terms or morale or principles.

Ethos is based on….

•

Character

•

Credibility

•

Reliability

Ethos: Definition

ethos - the character of a speaker or writer that is expressed in an attempt to persuade an audience; often developed using moral character, credibility, and reliability.

Ethos is developed through….

– Using credible sources - Using quotations specifically focused on the moral of the topic being discussed - Using appropriate and neutral language to discuss the argument/topic - Editing and properly formatting your paper

For Example… Which means he has great… •

Character

gives me great Ethos! •

Credibility

•

Reliability

An author loses Ethos by: • Using unreliable sources (e.g. Wikipedia) • Having poorly organized paragraphs • Including spelling and grammar errors in the final draft • Using disrespectful, rude, or offensive language and tone • Improperly Citing Sources • Omitting (leaving out) sources all together

So basically….

• Ethos involves both the credibility of your sources AND your writing!

I would need to use scientific evidence and studies Logos to appeal to my audience It is ultimately, the appeal to the brain or logic, of the audience.

Logos: Definition Definition: logos –a rhetorical device used in debate/argument that uses evidence, statistics, and facts to build a logical argument to appeal to audiences

To use ‘logos’ one must: • Cite facts and statistics • Utilize historical and literary analogies, i.e. compare history with the topic at hand • Using advanced vocabulary and academic terminology • List Resources • Construct the argument in a logical fashion

It is a more quality that appeals to the heart and emotions of an audience rock n’ roll…

Pathos: Definition pathos - a rhetorical device used in an argument or debate to appeal to an audience through their needs, emotions, and values; often to evoke sympathy and sadness *Trying to make the reader feel what the author feels*

Using Pathos , includes: • Inspiring anger, sadness, sympathy, or pity from the audience • Providing emotionally stirring examples or stories that support the author’s claim • Using sad or negative toned language • Often involves interviews or stories of individual cases for the argument

In the end…