Plato and Aristotle
Raphael’s School of Athens
(Italian Renaissance,
1509-1511, the Vatican)
Aristotle and Rhetoric
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384-322 B.C.
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Student of Plato at the Academy
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Taught famous leaders such as Alexander the Great
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One of the first scholars to explore complexities of
Western philosophy, devised a system that ties together
ethics, logic, metaphysics, science, politics, art, etc.
Noticed people used three types of arguments when
convincing others
Rembrandt’s
Aristotle with a
Bust of
Homer,
Dutch, 1653,
Metropolitan
Museum of
Art, New
York
Rhetoric:
(n) - the art of speaking or writing effectively
(Webster's Definition)
According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability
to see the available means of persuasion."
He described three main forms of rhetoric:
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.
Ethos- appeal based on speaker’s credibility; morality
Ethos (Greek for 'character') refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the writer
or speaker. Ethos is often conveyed through tone and style of the message and
through the way the writer or speaker refers to differing views. It can also be
affected by the writer's reputation as it exists independently from the message--his or
her expertise/credentials in the field, his or her previous record or integrity, etc.
(independent experts, eyewitnesses, stakeholders).
Pathos- appeal based on emotion
Pathos (Greek for 'suffering' or 'experience') In this sense, pathos evokes
a meaning implicit in the verb 'to suffer'--to feel pain imaginatively.
Pathos appeals work through emotions, sensations, and images, and
their success depends on the audience’s connection and
identification with the emotions of the text.
(Advertisements tend to be pathos-driven)
To appeal emotionally:
 Use imagery, descriptive language
 Use graphics
 Include a bias/prejudice
 Emotional tone
 Use personal anecdote
Logos- appeal based on logic, reason
Logos (Greek for 'word') refers to the internal consistency of the
message--the clarity of the claim, the logic of its reasons, and the
effectiveness of its supporting evidence. The certainty and accuracy
of an author’s claims is important. Concessions can also be important.
To appeal logically:
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Provide physical evidence
Use facts, statistics, testimony
Allude, or refer, to history
Use logic, common sense, and probability
Use definitions
Logic: The science of rational thought.
Formal tools or ways of reasoning.
Terms of Logic
Formal
Informal
Deductive
Inductive
Fallacy
Think about the rhetorical
appeals at work in the
following advertisements…
be ready to discuss in class!