Three Types of Logical Appeals: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Types of Logical Appeals:
Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Exploring Different Types of Appeals
•
Emotional (pathos) - appeals to feelings
•
Ethical (ethos) – appeals to values
•
Logical (logos) – appeals to reason/logic
•
Each different rhetorical situation you find
yourself in will call for you to use a different
balance of these three types of appeals.
Types of Appeals: Logos
•
One type of appeal appeals to your readers’
rational sides using
facts
and
logical explanations.
•
This is called
logos,
which is related to the word
"logic.“
•
By making sure that your facts are relevant and
well-documented, you will increase your credibility
as a writer.
•
If an appeal uses scientific research, data, or other
“cold, hard facts” to make its point, it is using
logos.
Types of Appeals: Ethos
•
You may be appealing to your readers’ sense of
what is ethical (in this context “ethical” means
“the right thing to do”) by asserting that you
share common
values
with them. An appeal to
values/ethics is an appeal to
ethos,
which shared
a root with the word “ethical.”
•
If an argument is appealing to ideals or values
that are important to the reader (for example,
equality and fairness, “The American Dream,”
etc.) and are
shared by the writer,
it is appealing
to
ethos.
Types of Appeals: Pathos
•
You may also be making an appeal to
emotion.
This is called
pathos.
It shares a root with the
word "pathetic," which originally mean “inspiring
pity.” It originally meant appealing to the
emotions
without
the negative connotation of
weakness that modern English gives it.
•
You are trying to get your audience to really
feel
for whatever cause you are arguing for.
•
If an argument “tugs at the heart strings” or
causes the reader to emotionally engage with the
topic, it is using
pathos.
Balancing Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
•
It is your job as a writer to balance facts,
values, and emotions. Too much of one and
not enough of the others can make for an
unbalanced argument. Be especially aware of
overusing emotional appeals. People are
smart, and they don't like being jerked around
by their emotions. This is especially true
when writing for a mixed audience… people
who disagree with you will be on the lookout
for emotional manipulation.
How can I use claims and appeals in
my own writing?
•
Identify
what’s at stake.
•
Take some time
right now
to ask yourself,
who might be
affected by my issue?
Also, be on the lookout for sources
who can give you more info on what’s at stake. A lot of
times, we don’t
know
exactly what’s at stake until we
do the
research.
•
What types of appeals might be useful for you? How might
you use emotion? How might you use logic? Values?
•
Be on the lookout for all types of appeals, or the building
blocks of all types of appeals, in your sources as you read.
Explore the different types of logical appeals used in writing - Logos (appeals to reason), Ethos (appeals to values), and Pathos (appeals to emotions). Learn how to balance these appeals to create a persuasive argument and avoid overreliance on emotional manipulation.
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Presentation Transcript
Types of Logical Appeals: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
Exploring Different Types of Appeals Emotional (pathos) - appeals to feelings Ethical (ethos) appeals to values Logical (logos) appeals to reason/logic Each different rhetorical situation you find yourself in will call for you to use a different balance of these three types of appeals.
Types of Appeals: Logos One type of appeal appeals to your readers rational sides using facts and logical explanations. This is called logos, which is related to the word "logic. By making sure that your facts are relevant and well-documented, you will increase your credibility as a writer. If an appeal uses scientific research, data, or other cold, hard facts to make its point, it is using logos.
Types of Appeals: Ethos You may be appealing to your readers sense of what is ethical (in this context ethical means the right thing to do ) by asserting that you share common values with them. An appeal to values/ethics is an appeal to ethos, which shared a root with the word ethical. If an argument is appealing to ideals or values that are important to the reader (for example, equality and fairness, The American Dream, etc.) and are shared by the writer, it is appealing to ethos.
Types of Appeals: Pathos You may also be making an appeal to emotion. This is called pathos. It shares a root with the word "pathetic," which originally mean inspiring pity. It originally meant appealing to the emotions without the negative connotation of weakness that modern English gives it. You are trying to get your audience to really feel for whatever cause you are arguing for. If an argument tugs at the heart strings or causes the reader to emotionally engage with the topic, it is using pathos.
Balancing Logos, Ethos, and Pathos It is your job as a writer to balance facts, values, and emotions. Too much of one and not enough of the others can make for an unbalanced argument. Be especially aware of overusing emotional appeals. People are smart, and they don't like being jerked around by their emotions. This is especially true when writing for a mixed audience people who disagree with you will be on the lookout for emotional manipulation.
How can I use claims and appeals in my own writing? Identify what s at stake. Take some time right now to ask yourself, who might be affected by my issue? Also, be on the lookout for sources who can give you more info on what s at stake. A lot of times, we don t know exactly what s at stake until we do the research. What types of appeals might be useful for you? How might you use emotion? How might you use logic? Values? Be on the lookout for all types of appeals, or the building blocks of all types of appeals, in your sources as you read.
