Pathos

Pathos

(Appeal to Emotion) 

Definition: A persuasive appeal based on emotion. The goal of pathos is to evoke an emotional response that aligns with the speaker's or writer's argument, thereby influencing the audience's perceptions, attitudes, and actions.  Pathos is meant to tug on the audience's heartstrings.

• The primary purpose of pathos is to create an emotional connection between the communicator and the audience. By appealing to emotions, the speaker or writer can make their argument more persuasive and memorable, motivating the audience to accept their viewpoint or take action.

• Pathetic (emotional) appeals include vivid descriptions, emotional language, powerful examples, and stories depicting emotional events. 

• Pathetic appeals can inspire a full range of emotions, such as sadness, anger, fear, resentment, jealousy, lust, embarrassment, distress, delight, joy, courage, comfort, loneliness, paranoia, remorse, yearning, and more.

• Pathos may appeal to emotions like pity and sympathy, using tender experiences and base sentiments to break down mental barriers to persuasion. 

Key Elements of Pathos

1. Emotion: Pathos seeks to evoke emotions such as pity, anger, fear, joy, love, or sympathy. By appealing to these emotions, the speaker or writer can create a connection with the audience and make the argument more compelling.

2. Imagery & Descriptive Language: Vivid descriptions, metaphors, similes, and anecdotes are used to paint a picture that resonates emotionally with the audience. These techniques help make abstract concepts more relatable and impactful.

3. Tone & Delivery: The tone of voice, pacing, and body language of the speaker can significantly impact the emotional appeal of the message. A passionate and sincere delivery can enhance the emotional connection with the audience.

4. Personal Stories & Examples: Sharing personal experiences or relatable stories humanizes the issue and creates a bond with the audience. This makes the argument more relatable and impactful.

5. Visual & Sensory Elements: Visual aids, such as images, videos, or graphics, and sensory details that appeal to sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell can enhance the emotional impact of the message.

Ethical Considerations

While pathos can be a powerful tool for persuasion, it is important to use it ethically. Manipulating emotions in a way that is deceptive or exploitative can undermine the credibility of the argument and the integrity of the communicator. Effective use of pathos should enhance the argument without compromising honesty and transparency.

Etymology

Pathos is a Greek word meaning "suffering" that has long been used to relay feelings of sadness or strong emotion. It was adopted into the English language in the 16th century to describe a quality that stirs human emotions, which is often produced by a real-life tragedy or moving music or speech.

Pathos became the foundation for many other English words like those listed below: 

• Empathy: The ability to recognize, understand, and share the feelings and emotions of another person, often leading to a compassionate response.

• Pathology: The branch of medical science that studies the causes, effects, and nature of diseases, often involving the examination of tissues, organs, and bodily fluids to diagnose illness.

• Pathetic: Describing something or someone that evokes feelings of pity, sadness, or compassion due to their weakness, inadequacy, or unfortunate circumstances.

• Sympathy: The act of sharing and understanding the feelings of another person, particularly in times of sorrow or distress, often accompanied by a desire to provide comfort and support.

• Sociopath: A person with a personality disorder characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, a lack of empathy and remorse, and a pattern of disregard for the rights and feelings of others.

• Psychopath: A person with a personality disorder marked by enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits, often resulting in harmful and manipulative actions towards others.

Emotionally Charged Language

Context: A political speech addressing immigration policy.

Emotionally Charged Language: "Our nation has always been a beacon of hope and freedom, welcoming hardworking, law-abiding immigrants who strive to contribute to our society. However, we must protect our borders from the influx of criminals and job-stealers who threaten our way of life. We cannot allow illegals to undermine the safety and prosperity of our great nation. We must stand together to preserve the sanctity of our laws and ensure that only those who respect our values and work ethic are allowed to join our American family."

Analysis of Emotionally Charged Language:

• God Terms: Words or phrases with inherently positive connotations.

  • "Beacon of hope and freedom"

  • "Great nation"

  • "American family"

  • "Sanctity"

• Devil Terms: Words or phrases with inherently negative connotations.

  • "Criminals"

  • "Job-stealers"

  • "Threaten our way of life"

  • "Illegals"

  • "Undermine the safety and prosperity"

• Euphemisms: Mild or indirect terms are substituted for more direct or harsh terms.

  • "Join our American family" (instead of immigrate)

  • "Respect our values" (instead of "comply with laws")

• Dysphemisms: Harsh or more direct terms used instead of more neutral or mild terms.

  • "Influx of criminals"

  • Illegals (instead of "undocumented immigrants")

Analyzing Pathos

1. Identify the Emotional Appeals

   • Determine the Emotions: Identify the emotions the speaker or writer is attempting to evoke in the audience. Consider how these emotions align with the overall message and purpose.

   • Types of Emotions: Recognize the specific emotions targeted, such as fear, anger, joy, sadness, compassion, or hope.

2. Examine the Use of Imagery and Descriptive Language

   • Vivid Descriptions: Look for vivid and descriptive language that paints a picture and elicits an emotional response from the audience.

   • Metaphors & Similes: Note any use of metaphors, similes, and analogies that enhance emotional appeal by making abstract concepts more relatable.

   • Anecdotes and Stories: Identify any personal stories or anecdotes shared by the speaker that humanize the issue and create an emotional connection with the audience.

3. Assess the Tone and Delivery

   • Emotional Tone: Analyze the tone of the speech or text. Is it passionate, empathetic, angry, or hopeful? Determine how the tone influences the emotional response of the audience.

   • Pacing & Pauses: Consider how the speaker's pacing and use of pauses contribute to the emotional impact of the message.

   • Body Language & Facial Expressions: If applicable, observe the speaker’s body language and facial expressions, which can amplify emotional appeals.

4. Evaluate the Use of Visual and Sensory Elements

   • Visual Aids: Note any visual aids, such as images, videos, or graphics, that are used to evoke emotions. Assess their effectiveness in reinforcing the emotional appeal.

   • Sensory Details: Identify any sensory details that appeal to the audience’s senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell, enhancing the emotional impact.

5. Analyze the Connection to the Audience’s Values and Beliefs

   • Shared Values: Determine how the speaker appeals to values and beliefs shared by the audience, fostering a sense of connection and emotional resonance.

   • Cultural & Social References: Look for references to cultural, social, or historical events that evoke collective emotions and reinforce the message.

   • Empathy & Identification: Assess how the speaker creates empathy by identifying with the audience’s experiences, concerns, and aspirations.

6. Evaluate the Ethical Use of Emotional Appeals

   • Appropriateness: Consider whether the emotional appeals are appropriate for the context and audience. Are they respectful and considerate of the audience’s feelings?

   • Manipulation vs. Persuasion: Determine whether the speaker uses emotional appeals ethically, avoiding manipulation and focusing on genuine persuasion.

   • Balance with Logic & Credibility: Analyze how the emotional appeals are balanced with logical arguments (logos) and credibility (ethos) to create a well-rounded and effective message.

7. Assess the Overall Effectiveness of Pathos

   • Emotional Impact: Evaluate the overall emotional impact of the message. Does it successfully evoke the intended emotions and persuade the audience?

Rhetorical Devices (Pathos)

The following rhetorical devices utilize pathos (emotion) as their primary appeal. 

1. Anacoenosis: Asking the opinion or viewpoint of the audience, making them feel involved in the discussion.

2. Antirrhesis: Dismissing an argument by claiming it is unimportant, incorrect, or morally wrong.

3. Apodioxis: Rejecting an argument with indignation as completely false or absurd.

4. Aporia: Expressing genuine or feigned doubt or confusion about a topic or issue.

5. Aposiopesis: Pausing mid-sentence and leaving a statement unfinished, often indicating that it is too emotional or inappropriate to continue.

6. Apostrophe: Breaking off from addressing the audience to speak directly to an absent or imaginary person or entity.

7. Asphalia: Offering oneself as a guarantee or surety for a commitment or promise.

8. Argumentum ad Misericordiam: Appealing to the audience’s sense of pity or compassion to persuade them.

9. Augendi Causa: Raising one's voice for emphasis or dramatic effect.

10. Comprobatio: Offering praise or compliments to the audience or judges to gain favor.

11. Consolatio: Offering comfort and solace to those who are grieving or mourning.

12. Emphasis: Hinting at a deeper meaning beyond the literal words spoken.

13. Encomium: A formal expression of praise for a person or thing, highlighting their inherent qualities.

14. Epiplexis: Asking rhetorical questions to express disapproval or to criticize.

15. Eustathia: A pledge or promise of steadfastness and consistency.

16. Insultatio: Directly mocking or insulting someone in an ironic or sarcastic manner.

17. Mempsis: Expressing grievances and appealing for help or sympathy.

18. Ominatio: Foretelling or prophesying something evil or unfortunate.

19. Optatio: Expressing a wish or desire.

20. Syngnome: Offering forgiveness or pardon for wrongdoings.

21. Thaumasmus: Expressing amazement or wonder.

22. Threnos: A formal expression of grief or lamentation.

Examples of Pathos

1. 1. Shared Values: A teenager tries to convince his parents to buy him a new car by saying if they cared about their child's safety they'd upgrade him.

   2. Moral Appeal: A boyfriend begs his girlfriend to stay with him, claiming "If you really love me, you'll give me time to change my ways."

   3. Relatable Scenario: A car commercial depicts a teary-eyed parent saying goodbye to their child as they go off to college, sad but assured that they're sending their child away in a reliable, safe car.

   4. Personal Anecdote: A cancer survivor shares their journey of battling the disease to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, evoking empathy and compassion.

   5. Vivid Imagery: Describing the devastation of a natural disaster with detailed imagery to elicit sympathy and a sense of urgency in providing aid.

   6. Emotional Tone: A politician delivers a passionate speech about the impact of poverty on children, using a heartfelt tone to inspire action and support for social programs.

   7. Relatable Scenario: An environmental activist paints a picture of a future world affected by climate change, appealing to the audience’s fears and hopes for their children’s future.

   8. Evocative Language: A charity organization uses phrases like "heartbreaking loss" and "unimaginable suffering" in their appeals to encourage donations.

   9. Shared Values: A speaker references national pride and the collective struggle of a community during a crisis, tapping into feelings of solidarity and patriotism.

   10. Emotional Story: A teacher tells a story about a struggling student who overcame adversity, aiming to inspire other students and educators to persevere and support one another.

   11. Moral Appeal: An animal rights activist shows graphic images of animal cruelty to provoke feelings of outrage and a moral obligation to act.

   12. Nostalgia: A marketer uses nostalgic imagery and language to remind an older audience of the "good old days," creating an emotional connection to a product.

   13. Testimonial: A recovering addict shares their personal story of recovery and redemption to connect emotionally with others struggling with addiction, encouraging them to seek help.

   14. Vivid Imagery: Charity organizations show images of starving orphans living in dire conditions who need your help with monthly financial support.

   15. I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. compares the "vicious racists" of Alabama with the idyllic picture of "little black boys and black girls" joining hands with "little white boys and white girls."

   16. Gettysburg Address: Abraham Lincoln's speech at the battleground dedicated the ground as "a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live."

   17. Liberty or Death: Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention" - "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Fallacies of Pathos

1. Appeal to Fear: Using scare tactics, emphasizing threats, or exaggerating possible dangers.

Example: “Without this additional insurance, you could find yourself broke and homeless.”

2. Appeal to Guilt & Pity: Trying to evoke an emotional reaction that will cause the audience to behave sympathetically even if it means disregarding the issue at hand.

Example: “I know I missed assignments, but if you fail me, I will lose my financial aid and have to drop out.”

3. Appeal to Popularity (Bandwagon): Urging the audience to follow a course of action because “everyone does it.” 

Example: “Nine out of ten shoppers have switched to Blindingly-Bright-Smile Toothpaste.”

4. Slippery Slope: Making an unsupported or inadequately supported claim that “One thing inevitably leads to another.” This may be considered a fallacy of logos as well,

Example: “We can’t legalize marijuana, If we do, then the next thing you know people will be strung out on heroin.”

5. Appeal to the People: Also called stirring symbols fallacy. The communicator distracts the readers or listeners with symbols that are very meaningful to them, with strong associations or connotations.

Example: This fallacy is referred to in the sentence - “That politician always wraps himself in the flag.”

6. Appeal to Tradition: People have done it a certain way for a long time. Assumes that what has been customary in past is correct and proper.

Example: “A boy always serves as student-body president; a girl always serves as secretary.”