Persuasion/Argumentative language
The Three Appeals of Argument
Aristotle postulated three argumentative appeals: logical, ethical, and emotional. Strong
arguments have a balance of all of three, though logical (logos) is essential for a strong,
valid argument.
Logical Appeal (logos)
Logical appeal is the strategic use of logic, claims, and evidence to convince an audience
of a certain point.(Brain--reasonable)
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Strong, clear claims
Reasonable qualifiers for claims
Warrants that are valid
Clear reasons for claims
Strong evidence (facts, statistics, personal experience, expert authority,
interviews, observations, anecdotes)
Acknowledgement of the opposition (counter-argument)
Ethical Appeal (ethos)
Ethical appeal is used to establish the writer as fair, open-minded, honest, and
knowledgeable about the subject matter. The writer creates a sense of him or herself as
trustworthy and credible. (Sense of right vs. wrong)
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Well-informed about the topic
Confident in his or her position
Sincere and honest
Understanding of the reader's concerns and possible objections
Humane and considerate
religious
Emotional Appeal (pathos)
Not surprisingly, emotional appeals target the emotions/feelings of the reader to create
some kind of connection with the writer. The speaker wants the audience to feel
positively about him/topic.
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Reinforce logical arguments
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Use diction and imagery to create a bond with the reader in a human way
Appeal to idealism, beauty, humor, nostalgia, or pity (or other emotions) in a
balanced way
Are presented in a fair manner
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Parallelism
Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words or phrases
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Mary likes hiking, biking, and swimming.
We will not be hindered. We will not be stopped. We will not be helpless.
Rhetorical Questions
A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected. The answer may be
obvious or immediately provided by the questioner.
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How did you get to be so smart?
"Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do 'practice'?"
(George Carlin)
"The means are at hand to fulfill the age-old dream: poverty can be abolished.
How long shall we ignore this under-developed nation in our midst? How long shall
we look the other way while our fellow human beings suffer? How long?"
(Michael Harrington, The Other America: Poverty in the United States, 1962)
Definitions
Logical appeals
Emotional appeals
Ethical appeals
Parallelism
Rhetorical questions
Persuasion/Argumentative language
Name___________________________
Definitions
Logical appeals
Persuasion/Argumentative language
Name___________________________
Emotional appeals
Ethical appeals
Parallelism
Rhetorical questions