The Rhetoric of Persuasion: A Very Quick Summary of Aristotle's Three Appeals
The goal of argumentative writing or speaking is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's. Aristotle divided the means of persuasion—appeals—into three categories: Ethos, Pathos, Logos.
- Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, means using your character to persuade an audience. We tend to believe people whom we respect. One of the main challenges of argumentation is to create the impression that you are someone worth listening to. In other words, you should usually try to present yourself as an authority on your subject, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect.
- Pathos (Emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeals can effectively be used to enhance an argument.
- Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning. Today this is perhaps the most important technique to master, for giving reasons is the heart of argumentation. So…what kinds of support might you use to substantiate an argument?
Question: What happens if an argument relies too heavily on one type of appeal?
Persuasive Appeals in Advertising
Directions: Study an advertisement and evaluate how it attempts to persuade its audience. Try to do more than simply identifying the types of appeals present in the ad. Try to explain in a detailed paragraph just what the ad is trying to say.
Extension: How might the concept of persuasive appeals help you become a stronger writer? Can you give me any example