Aristotles Ideas on Rhetoric Logos Pathos and Ethos

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Aristotle’s Ideas on Rhetoric Logos, Pathos, and Ethos

Aristotle’s Ideas on Rhetoric Logos, Pathos, and Ethos

Aristotle • Greek philosopher • Lived 384 -322 B. C. • Expressed (among many

Aristotle • Greek philosopher • Lived 384 -322 B. C. • Expressed (among many other ideas) a theory on “rhetoric”

Aristotle’s Definition of “Rhetoric” Rhetoric: The art of discovering all the available means of

Aristotle’s Definition of “Rhetoric” Rhetoric: The art of discovering all the available means of persuasion *Notice the positive connotations of the term in Aristotle’s theory vs. the negative connotations often associated with the term “rhetoric” nowadays.

The Rhetorician as Artist • According to Aristotle, certain types of arguments were non-artistic.

The Rhetorician as Artist • According to Aristotle, certain types of arguments were non-artistic. By this, he meant that the speaker did not have to discover or invent them. Such “non-artistic” proofs included witnesses, oaths, or torture. In Aristotle’s view, these proofs fell outside the art of rhetoric. • However, other types of arguments were artistic, meaning that the rhetorician had to use his wits and creativity to discover these means of persuading the audience.

Aristotle’s Rhetoric

Aristotle’s Rhetoric

Logos § Logos are appeals to logic. § In using logos, the rhetorician appeals

Logos § Logos are appeals to logic. § In using logos, the rhetorician appeals to the audience’s rational side. § Logos involves building arguments through evidence, inferring logical conclusions from the evidence.

Human Beings Not Driven Solely by Logic • Aristotle was a firm believer in

Human Beings Not Driven Solely by Logic • Aristotle was a firm believer in logic. • However, he was enough of a realist to recognize that humans are emotional beings who make decisions based, in part, upon emotion. • Thus, Aristotle acknowledged that a rhetorician would be neglecting some of the “available means of persuasion” if the rhetorician did not also appeal to the audience’s emotion.

Pathos § Pathos are appeals to emotion § With pathetic appeals, the rhetorician attempts

Pathos § Pathos are appeals to emotion § With pathetic appeals, the rhetorician attempts to move the audience by tapping into their emotional side. § Often, pathos involves appealing to the audience’s sense of empathy, compassion, sympathy, pride or even anger or outrage.

Ethos § Ethos are arguments or statements made by the rhetorician that are designed

Ethos § Ethos are arguments or statements made by the rhetorician that are designed to build his or her credibility with the audience § With ethical appeals, the rhetorician “ingratiates himself with an audience--and thereby gains their trust and admiration--if he manages to create the impression that he is a person of intelligence, benevolence, and probity” (Corbett and Connors, authors of Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student).

Awareness of Audience § If rhetoric is defined as the art of discovering all

Awareness of Audience § If rhetoric is defined as the art of discovering all the available means of persuasion, it would stand to reason that a rhetorician would need to have a keen sense of who his audience is and what “makes them tick. ” § A skilled rhetorician would recognize that he should tailor his appeals to fit his specific audience. (i. e. How do I need to build my credibility with this particular audience? Which emotions do I need to stir in this particular audience? ) ?