User:Jlehr27/Modes of persuasion

Ethos
Ethos (plural: ethea) is an appeal to the authority or credibility of the presenter. It is how well the presenter convinces the audience that the presenter is qualified to speak on the subject.

Pathos
Main article: Pathos

Pathos (plural: pathea) is an appeal to the audience's emotions.

Logos[edit]
Main article: Logos

Logos (plural: logoi) is logical appeal or the simulation of it, and the term logic is derived from it. It is normally used to describe facts and figures that support the speaker's claims or thesis. There are also more traditional forms of logical reasoning such as syllogisms, and enthymemes. Having a logos appeal also enhances ethos because information makes the speaker look knowledgeable and prepared to his or her audience. However, the data can be confusing and thus disorient the audience. Logos can also be misleading, inaccurate, or misconstrued however meaningful it may seem to the subject at hand. In some cases, inaccurate, or falsified data can even be used to enact a pathos effect. Such is the case with casualty numbers, which, while not necessarily falsified, may include minor casualties (injuries) that are equated with deaths in the mind of an audience and therefore can evoke the same effect as a death toll.

Examples of use[edit]
These rhetorical strategies are often used in political thought, speeches, newspaper articles and even in marketing. In a given text (or speech), a variety of devices may be used in concert in order to better persuade audiences.

An example of Pathos can be found in Fannie Lou Hammer's speech at the 1964 DNC where she bears witness to the abuse inflicted on African Americans trying to register vote in Mississippi. Her experience as a Black woman lends credence to her speech on African American voting rights during this time period.

Lyndon B. Johnson also makes use of Pathos in his 1965 Voting Rights Speech, calling upon the power of the Constitution to provide support for his argument.