Appeals of Persuasion Ethos Pathos Logos Ethos Appeal

“Appeals of Persuasion” Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Ethos- Appeal to Ethics �Focuses on convincing your audience that you are credible and they should listen to you. �Can make appeals to ethics by what you say as well as the vocabulary/grammar you use and how you dress.

Ethos-Persuasive Techniques �Rhetorical Questions: Questions designed to get us to agree with the speaker. Set up so the “correct answer” is obvious. �Experts: We rely on experts to advise us about things we don’t know about ourselves. Could be scientists, doctors, or “plain folks. ”

Examples �How would you feel if your reckless driving caused the death of another? (Rhetorical Question)

Pathos- Appeal to Emotion �Focuses on getting your audience to feel the way you want them to about your claim. �Try to invoke sympathy, anger, humor, fear, or comfort.

Pathos Persuasive Techniques �Fear: Uses something disliked or feared by the intended audience to scare them into believing you. �Humor: When we laugh, we feel good. If we can connect a topic or a product to this good feeling, we’re more likely to listen. �Warm & Fuzzy: Uses sentimental images to stimulate feelings of pleasure, comfort, and delight.

Examples �https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=fb. If VEbo. Azg

Logos – Appeal to Logic �Focuses on convincing an audience using logic or reason.

Logos-Persuasive Techniques �Scientific Evidence: Uses science (charts, graphs, statistics, etc. ) to “prove” something. �Explicit Claims: Something stated directly – can be proven true or false. �Analogy: another. Compares one situation to

Examples �https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=K QCGon 96 Wo 0

Persuasive Speaking Example �Take notes on his use of ethos, pathos, and logos. https: //www. ted. com/talks/adam_alter_ why_our_screens_make_us_less_hap py/transcript

Slide 1 � Defense Attorney Clarence Darrow asks a judge to spare the life of two young murderers. “…Why did they kill little Bobby Franks? Not for money, not for spite, not for hate. They killed him as they might kill a spider or a fly-for the experience. They killed him because they were made that way. Because somewhere in the infinite process that go to the making up of the boy or the man something slipped, and those unfortunate lads sit here hated, despised, outcasts, with the community shouting for their blood…. Many may say now that they want to hang these boys. But I know that giving the people blood is something like giving them their dinner: When they get it they go to sleep. They may for the time being have an emotion, but they will bitterly regret it. ”

Slide 2 � FDR tries to convince the nation that the U. S. must defend the world from Nazism. “…Certainly this is no time for any of us to stop thinking about the social and economic problems which are the root cause of the social revolution which is today a supreme factor in the world. For there is nothing mysterious about the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy. The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic systems are simple. They are: quality and opportunity for youth and for others, jobs for those who can work, security for those who need it, the ending of special privilege for the few, the preservation of civil liberties for all, the enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising standard of living. These are the simple, the basic things that must never be lost sight of in the turmoil and unbelievable complexity of our modern world. ”

Slide 3 � NAACP Attorney, Thurgood Marshall, argues against segregated schools. “…It is difficult to think of anything more important for the development of a people than proper training for their children; and yet I have repeatedly seen wise and loving colored parents take infinite pains to force their little children into schools where the white children, white teachers, and white parents despised and resented the dark child, make mock of it, neglected and bullied it, and literally rendered its life a living hell. Such parents want their children to fight this thing out-but dear God, at what a cost. “… We shall get a finer, better balance of spirit, an infinitely more capable and rounded personality, by putting children in schools where they are wanted and where they are happy and inspired, than in thrusting them into hells where they are ridiculed and hated. ”

Slide 4 � Defense Attorney Johnny Cochran argues that O. J. Simpson should be found not guilty. “In times like these we often turn to the Bible for some answers to try to figure out when you’ve got situations like this and you want to get an answer and you want to try to understand. I happen to really like the book of Proverbs and in Proverbs, it talks a lot about false witnesses. It says that a false witness shall not be unpunished and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. That meant a lot to me in this case because there was Mark Fuhrman acting like a choirboy, making you believe he was the best witness that walked in here, generally applauded for his wonderful performance. It turns out he was the biggest liar in the courtroom during this process, for the Bible had already told us the answer, that a false witness shall not he unpunished and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. ”

Slide 5 � Representative Barbara Jordan argues for the impeachment of President Nixon. “… Of the impeachment process, it was Woodrow Wilson who said that “nothing short of the grossest offenses against the plain law of the land will suffice to give them speed and effectiveness. Indignation so great as to overgrow party interest may secure a conviction, but nothing else can. ” Common sense would be revolted if we engaged upon this process for insurance, campaign finance reform, housing, environmental protection, energy sufficiency, mass transportation. Pettiness cannot be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. So today we are not being petty. We are trying to be big because the task we have before us is a big one. ”

Attention-Step �Just like attention-getter. �Something that gets your audience interested in your topic right from the start – the very first thing you say. �“Dogfooding”/ Steve Jobs Example – He limits how much his children use technology

Need Step �Need to convince the audience that this problem directly affects them or people they care about. � 24 – Hour Work Day – Time spent on our screens has increased dramatically – leaving very little time for humanity.

Satisfaction Step �Explain how the audience will benefit from believing you or acting how you advise them to. �Humor – Rising Desks/ Deleting E- mails �Form stronger relationships/ be happier

Visualization Step �Help the audience visualize a future if they listen to you or if they reject your ideas. �Visualize speeding down a road along the beach…

Action Step �Need to give them specific actions to take ◦ Change something in their lives. ◦ Write to a local representative. ◦ Join the cause/ local organization. �Small rules – no phones at the table or airplane mode on weekends