{"id":2621,"date":"2015-03-09T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=2621"},"modified":"2019-01-24T11:08:03","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T19:08:03","slug":"ethos-pathos-logos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/ethos-pathos-logos\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Be More Persuasive in Your Next Essay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think back to the last time you tried to persuade someone to do something or to see an issue from your point of view. Did you succeed in convincing your teacher to give up grading or your parents to continue paying your cell phone bill for another year?<\/p>\n

No? Probably because you were using the wrong modes of persuasion.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see. I tried begging, whining, pleading\u2026,\u201d you might say.<\/p>\n

Ack! Well there\u2019s <\/i>your problem. Those tricks might work for toddlers, but now that you\u2019re a real-life grown-up, it\u2019s time to add a little somethin\u2019-somethin\u2019<\/i> to your game if you want to get your way.<\/p>\n

First, a little history lesson: way back in the day–the fourth century B.C., to be exact–the Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote On Rhetoric<\/i>, a huge treatise on the art of, well, convincing people to see things your way. In it, he outlines three modes of persuasion: ethos<\/i>, pathos<\/i>, and logos<\/i>. These three terms refer to three specific ways of appealing to an audience.<\/p>\n

Over 2,000 years later, Aristotle\u2019s ideas are still central in the field of rhetoric (which is the art of discourse). Let\u2019s unpack each of these concepts and figure out how you can apply ethos, pathos, and logos to your next persuasive essay and win the hearts and minds of your audience\u2026.or at least get your way.<\/p>\n

Ethos, Pathos, Logos: What Do They Mean?<\/h2>\n

Ethos, pathos, and logos are central <\/b>to the art of persuasion. So central, in fact, that you encounter them every single day, whether you know it or not. Let\u2019s break them down and look at some examples of each, shall we?
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

Ethos<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you’ve ever heard the question, \u201cAnd just who are you to tell me\u2026?\u201d, then you know that  someone<\/i>\u2019s argument lacks ethical appeal.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthos\u201d refers to one\u2019s own character, image or reputation in the eyes of an audience. We see ethos in action all the time. Politicians, for instance, rely heavily on ethical appeals and will toot their own horns relentlessly to establish themselves as trustworthy, credible individuals.<\/p>\n

You also see ethical appeals in television commercials: think about how many times you\u2019ve heard things like \u201cAs a dentist, I recommend SparkleBrite toothpaste\u2026\u201d Or think about how often you see actors donning white coats to hawk aspirin and other medications on TV. To audience members, those titles and costumes = credibility.<\/p>\n

Pathos<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cPathos\u201d refers to appeals to your audience\u2019s emotions, imaginations, or sympathies. Pathetic* appeals might tug at the audience\u2019s heartstrings or get them fired up about some cause–these appeals rouse feelings of fear, pity, anger, and so forth.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever seen one of Sarah McLachlan\u2019s ASPCA commercials<\/a> and now tear up every time you hear \u201cAngel\u201d in passing, you’ve experienced the power of the pathetic appeal.<\/p>\n

(*Not \u201cpathological,\u201d as many believe.)<\/i><\/p>\n

Logos<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cLogos\u201d aren’t just brand symbols. In the context of rhetoric, logos refers to appeals to an audience\u2019s sense of logic, reason, and rationality. Logical appeals are common in courtrooms, where evidence is used to support claims.<\/p>\n

Logos also has to do with the way an argument is put together, whether in speech or in writing. The careful construction of a closing statement — which likely includes pathetic and ethical appeals, too — reflects the concept of logos.<\/p>\n

Here are all three concepts distilled into one handy visual guide:<\/p>\n

Now that you know what each of these concepts means, let\u2019s look at how you can put them to work in your next persuasive essay.<\/p>\n

How to Use Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in Persuasive Writing<\/h2>\n

So let\u2019s pretend your teacher has assigned a persuasive essay. You, having just arrived to class from an expensive visit to your chiropractor, set down your 50-pound backpack and decide to write an essay persuading your school to abandon physical textbooks in favor of all-digital class materials.<\/p>\n

To ensure that your argument hits all the right notes with all the right people, use these tips and strategies for enhancing your persuasive essay with ethos, pathos, and logos.<\/p>\n

Tips for Applying <\/b>Ethos<\/i><\/b> in Your Writing<\/b><\/h3>\n

Strategy 2<\/b> \u2014 Show that you have what Aristotle called \u201cgood sense\u201d by citing reliable authorities — this demonstrates that even if you aren’t an expert yourself, you have the knowledge to find and sift through other credible information: \u201cAccording to renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Skel Eton, the average college student is at serious risk of back injuries due to carrying heavy textbooks.\u201d<\/i>
\n<\/i>
\n<\/i>Strategy 3 <\/b>\u2014<\/b> Demonstrate your good will. That is, show your audience that your motivation isn\u2019t entirely self-serving and is for the greater good. \u201cStudents all over the country face back injuries each year due to schlepping mandatory class materials across campus.\u201d<\/i>
\n<\/i>
\n<\/i>Caveat<\/i><\/b>: <\/i>Avoid writing \u201cI think\u2026\u201d unless it matters to your audience what you<\/i> think. Before your personal opinion holds any weight whatsoever, you must establish your good character and reputation and make it clear that you have the expertise to speak about the issue at hand.<\/p>\n

Tips for Applying <\/b>Pathos <\/i><\/b>in Your Writing<\/b><\/h3>\n

Andrew Dlugan at Six Minutes shares some killer ideas<\/a> for tugging at your audience\u2019s heartstrings–even though he\u2019s targeting speech writers, most of these could easily apply to essay writing.<\/p>\n

Strategy 2 <\/b>\u2014 <\/b>Let word connotation do the work. \u201cStudents sluggishly plod across campus as they haul their burdens from class to class.\u201d <\/i>(\u201cPlod\u201d and \u201cburdens\u201d suggest a weariness that isn\u2019t present if you write \u201cwalk\u201d and \u201cbackpacks\u201d instead.)<\/p>\n

Strategy 3 <\/b>\u2014 <\/b>Relate to your audience. \u201cTeachers and administrators also have to carry heavy books to and from class and their offices. We would all benefit from lightening our loads.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Caveat: <\/i><\/b>Be really careful not to go overboard with pathetic appeals, and know your audience. If you lay it on too thick, they’ll see right through you.<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
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Don’t go overboard with pathetic appeals… your audience will see right through you.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Tips for Applying <\/b>Logos <\/i><\/b>in Your Writing<\/b><\/h3>\n

Strategy 1 <\/b>\u2014 <\/b>State the facts. Statistics, data, and other irrefutable facts make ideal evidence. \u201cTwenty-seven percent of college students will experience back pain at some point due to the weight of their textbooks.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Strategy 2 <\/b>\u2014 <\/b>Show that it would be unreasonable not to take your side. \u201cOver ninety percent of university students already own a laptop or tablet, and all major publishers make their materials available in digital formats. Nothing stands in the way of our university making this change.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Strategy 3 <\/b>\u2014 <\/b>Pay attention to the structure <\/a>and content <\/a>of your persuasive essay, and above all, make sure that your message makes sense.<\/p>\n

Caveat:<\/i><\/b> Be sure to avoid logical fallacies as you construct your argument. Check out this list of some of the most common logical fallacies<\/a> from Purdue OWL.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/h2>\n

Are you feeling more confident in your ability to channel Aristotle\u2019s three modes of persuasion in your next essay in order to sway your audience to see things your way?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling stuck, check out some of these persuasive and argumentative essay examples<\/a>, including this paper on ethos, pathos, and logos<\/a> in Lincoln\u2019s second inaugural address.<\/p>\n

You can also check out this handy infographic <\/a>about the elements of persuasion.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t forget to have a Kibin editor<\/a> look over your persuasive essay. (Pop quiz: A well-written, error-free paper boosts your credibility, which falls under which mode of persuasion?…..if you said \u201cethos,\u201d pat yourself on the back, smarty-pants).<\/p>\n

Happy writing!
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Think back to the last time you tried to persuade someone to do something or to see an issue from your point of view. Did you succeed in convincing your teacher to give up grading or your parents to continue paying your cell phone bill for another year? No? Probably because you were using the … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/b> “Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Be More Persuasive in Your Next Essay”<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":7768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[56,137],"yoast_head":"\nEthos Pathos Logos: Be More Persuasive in Your Essay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn to apply ethos, pathos, and logos to your next persuasive essay and win the hearts and minds of your audience... or at least get your way.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/ethos-pathos-logos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ethos Pathos Logos: Be More Persuasive in Your Essay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn to apply ethos, pathos, and logos to your next persuasive essay and win the hearts and minds of your audience... or at least get your way.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/ethos-pathos-logos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kibin Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-03-10T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-01-24T19:08:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/ethospathoslogos2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erin H.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erin H.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/ethos-pathos-logos\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/ethos-pathos-logos\/\",\"name\":\"Ethos Pathos Logos: Be More Persuasive in Your Essay\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-03-10T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-01-24T19:08:03+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d13d3778b6e824400ab81844ca8915ea\"},\"description\":\"Learn to apply ethos, pathos, and logos to your next persuasive essay and win the hearts and minds of your audience... or at least get your way.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/ethos-pathos-logos\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/\",\"name\":\"Kibin Blog\",\"description\":\"Creating Better Writers\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d13d3778b6e824400ab81844ca8915ea\",\"name\":\"Erin H.\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/20160102_142541-e1551551857373-100x100.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/20160102_142541-e1551551857373-100x100.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Erin H.\"},\"description\":\"is a professional word nerd with a BA in English. 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