Ethos, Pathos, Logos
The Art of Appeal
English 12
Mrs. Kinney
What Are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos?
 Video
Ethos Strategies
• Make the reader respect you.
▫ One strategy: Admit that you do not know everything or that you can’t magically make
everything better.
▫ “I don’t have all the answers.” “I’ve made my share of mistakes.”
• Make the reader like your character or personality.
▫ One strategy: Using humor to increase your likability and reliability.
• Make the reader trust and believe you.
▫ Emphasizing your training and/or you direct experience with the topic.
▫ Ex. “I’ve been teaching for 10 years…”
▫ Ex. “I’m not a professional mechanic, but I’ve worked on cars in my spare time for
years. That sounds to me like the timing belt is loose.”
▫ Ex. Emphasize the ways you and your audience are similar. (Background, concerns,
etc.)
• Use vocabulary and grammar appropriate to your audience.
▫ Ex:. Speaking casually with your peers, and formally with your boss or grandparents.
Ethos Example:
• Product: George Foreman and his Grilling Machine
• Credentials: Boxing Champ and a Preacher
• Do these ads rely more on Foreman’s credibility (his expertise on
grilling and small appliances) or on character (he has a good reputation as a
preacher and a famous athlete, he wouldn’t be dishonest)?
• What is another example of a person using ethos to increase the
appeal of their argument?
Logos (Logical)
 Appeal to Logic
 Logos: persuasion by the use of reasoning
Why It Works:
 It makes the reader think about facts, reasons, causes and
effects, etc.
 It establishes a conclusion that is more difficult to dismiss as silly
or refute as wrong.
Reader Response:“That makes a lot of sense; it is hard to argue against
that.”
Logos Strategies
• Clear and logical reasons to support claim.
• Provides a variety of evidence such as:
▫ Factual data and statistics
▫ Expert informed opinions
• Makes the reader rationally question a belief.
• Use mostly neutral language so there is no distraction from the
reasonability of the argument.
Pathos
• This is an appeal to emotions or feelings. It can appeal to “higher”
emotions or “lower” emotions.
• Why it Works: Emotions of fear, love, hope, etc. are extremely
powerful and shape decisions we make everyday. It draws a personal
connection between the readers’ experience and the issue at hand.
Reader Response:“I am connected to this issue because _________. It makes
me happy/sad/angry/
worried/ etc. about it.What can I do?”
Pathos Strategies
▫ Loaded, Emotionally-charged language
(positive or negative connotations)
▫ Personal narratives (anecdotes) of emotional events
▫ Vivid description
▫ Makes the reader feel a particular emotion.
(The advertisements for a product make you feel happy, so you come to connect
happiness with the product. That little connection can be enough to make you pick it up
instead of the competing product when you are choosing at the store.)
Pathos Example:
 How does this advertisement
appeal to emotion? Why?
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
What appeal are advertisers using to get you to buy
their product?
Objective:
 As you view each advertisement that comes up on the screen,
decide if it’s appealing to your sense of ethos, pathos, or
logos.
ETHOS, PATHOS, and LOGOS
 AS YOU ANALYZE THE ADVERTISMENTS:
 Ethos: Is it Ethical?
 Pathos: Does it make you feel a strong emotion?
 Logos: Does it make you use your sense of reason?
Ethos
 Ethos: Ethics
 To make the audience decide right or wrong
about what is being presented to it
 Political issues, national beliefs, religious issues,
etc…
 Typically has contrasting colors symbolizing the
difference between good and evil.
Pathos
 Pathos: Emotion
 To make the audience feel something about what
is presented to it
 Children, animals, illness, memories, etc…
 “Tugs at your heart strings”
Logos
 Logos: Logic
 To make the audience think about what is
presented to it
 Statistics, facts, authorities, etc…
 Very straightforward, and not “fluff”. It has a
very scientific, factual approach.
Can some advertisements have more
than one appeal?
 Yes! The more appeals used in an ad the more likely the
consumer is to connect with it.
 For the case of this lesson or power point, pick the MOST
emphasized appeal used in each ad to write onto your sheet.
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Ethos,
Pathos,
or
Logos?
Ethos,
Pathos, or
Logos?
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Ethos,
Pathos,
or
Logos?
Ethos, Pathos, or Logos?
Ethos,
Pathos,
Logos?
Ethos,
Pathos,
or
Logos?
Three different ways to prove your point
Logical Appeals (logos)- convincing reasons and the
logical evidence that supports those reasons
 Facts
 Statistics
 Expert opinion
 Example
 Factual anecdote
Emotional Appeals (pathos)- used to stir feelings in the
reader (i.e., happiness or anger)
◦ Loaded words/language-
really positive or negative
sounding words
◦ Short anecdote that plays
to audience’s emotions
◦ Appeal to senses by including vivid sensory details
(taste, smell, hearing, touch, sight)
Ethical Appeals (ethos)- based on character, credibility,
and/or reliability of the author
 Makes the audience believe the author is
reasonable (willing to listen, compromise)
 Demonstrates the author’s knowledge, credibility
and/or expertise of the topic
 Demonstrates that the writer “knows” the readers
and respects them
 Focuses more on the author, not the topic
 While all three appeals can be used and/or analyzed
separately, the strongest and most persuasive arguments
use a mixture of all three appeals.
 It is important that you consider who your audience is
when you are using persuasive appeals.
Now you try:
The animal shelter desperately needs your support. It is
overflowing with lonely little kittens who spend their days
mewing and whimpering and staring forlornly out of their
cramped crates.
Emotional appeal (pathos)
I deserve the position because I have worked faithfully for the
past 30 years. I always go above and beyond what is expected
of me. I was even selected as “Employee of the Month.”
Ethical appeal (ethos)
According to a study by CNN, 28% of teenagers report that they
could manage without a TV.
Logical appeal (logos)
Superhero Battle Activity
 Each small group will be a different superhero.
 The earth is in danger and I must choose one superhero to defend
mankind as we know it.
 Using logos, pathos, and ethos, your group must convince me that
your superhero deserves the honor of saving the world.
Superhero Activity Poster
Logos
Superhero Name
Pathos
Ethos
5 things in each column