Rhetoric

Analyzing Arguments: Pathos, Ethos, Logos

 Sample Argument
I should go to bed at the same time as my older siblings.
You should buy this car because it will keep your family safe.
 Aristotles Categories of Appeal
Aristotle categorized argumentative appeals into three types: ethical appeals that
appeal to character (ethos), emotional appeals that speak to our hearts and
values (known to the ancient Greeks as pathos), and logical appeals that
involve factual information and evidence (logos).

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Emotional Appeals in an Argument. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford
Version. Bedford/St. Martins, 2017.
 Ethos
To make your argument convincing, you must first gain the respect and trust of
your readers, or establish your credibility with them. The ancient Greeks called
this particular kind of character appeal ethos, often known today as an ethical
appeal.
Ethical appeals support the credibility, moral character, and goodwill of the
arguments creator.

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
 Ethos
These appeals are especially important for critical readers to recognize and
evaluate. Should a respected baseball managers credibility in the clubhouse
convince you to invest in mutual funds he promotes? Should an actress
respected for her award-winning roles convince you to give to a particular
charity?

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
 Ethos
To identify ethical appeals in arguments, ask yourself these questions: What is
the creator of the argument doing to show that he or she is knowledgeable and
credible about the subjecthas really done the homework on it? What sort of
character does he or she build, and how? More important, is that character
trustworthy? What does the creator of the argument do to show that he or she
has the best interests of an audience in mind? Do those best interests match
your own, and, if not, how does that alter the effectiveness of the argument?

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
 Ethos

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
 Pathos
Emotional appeals stir our emotions and remind us of deeply held values. When
politicians argue that the country needs more tax relief, they almost always use
examples of one or more families they have met, stressing the concrete ways in
which a tax cut would improve the quality of their lives. Doing so creates a strong
emotional appeal.

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
 Pathos

Some have criticized the use of emotional appeals in argument,

claiming that they are a form of manipulation intended to mislead an
audience. But emotional appeals are an important part of almost
every argument. Critical readers talk back to such appeals by
analyzing them, deciding which are acceptable and which are not.

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.

Pathos
 Logos

Logical appeals are often viewed as especially trustworthy: The

facts dont lie, some say. Of course, facts are not the only type of
logical appeals, which also include firsthand evidence drawn from
observations, interviews, surveys and questionnaires, experiments,
and personal experience; and secondhand evidence drawn from
authorities, the testimony of others, statistics, and other print and
online sources.

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
 Logos

Critical readers need to examine logical appeals just as carefully as

emotional and ethical ones. What is the source of the logical appeal,
and is that source trustworthy? Are all terms defined clearly? Has the
logical evidence presented been taken out of context, and, if so,
does that change the meaning of the data?

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.
 Logos

[I]t is well for us to remember that, in an age of increasing illiteracy, 60 percent

of the worlds illiterates are women. Between 1960 and 1970, the number of
illiterate men in the world rose by 8 million, while the number of illiterate
women rose by 40 million.1 And the number of illiterate women is increasing.
ADRIENNE RICH, What Does a Woman Need to Know?

Source: Lunsford, Andrea A. Analyzing Arguments. Writers Help 2.0, Lunsford Version. Bedford/St.
Martins, 2017.