Aristotle is the classical Greek philosopher who outlined ethos, pathos, and as the three modes of persuasion that a speaker may employ for effective communication in order to win the listener to identify with the message. Also known as the artistic proofs, the appeals derive their names from Greek words coined by Aristotle to represent the respective attributes as per the Greek translation. Ethos, for example, is the ethical appeal and involves convincing the critical analyst that the originator of the information is trustworthy. It is from the word that the English word “ethic” is derived from. It involves among others using a bipartisan approach, presenting oneself as of refined expertise and choosing the appropriate grammar and syntax. Ethos is articulated in Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s ‘I have a dream’ speech whereby his choice of vocabulary enhances his campaign against racism. In arguing that he dreams of a society where his “children will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” he gives his information the required appeal and captivates the audience to identify with his cause. It should be noted that it is the role of the audience to determine whether the speaker has got ethos (Connors, 1979). In this light, the silence of the huge crowd that stood to listen to Luther’s speech can be used as the parameter with which high ethos in his address is ascertained. More so, his goodwill towards the audience adds to his categorization as a speaker who has ethos.
Pathos, on the other hand, gives the emotional appeal to the audience by swaying their hearts to sympathize with the situation in question. It is quite effective when the speaker meditates on a specific emotion and uses the right words to transfer the feelings to the audience. Pathos may also transmit the feelings of pity, anger or push the listeners to action. Also a Greek word for ‘suffering’ and ‘experience’ it is commonly used by army general when speaking to the troops before a war. It serves as an inspiration to the listening soldiers and also serves as a signal to charge in belief that they will triumph over the enemy. George Patton employed pathos to persuade the third army to face the Germans in the final battle that saw the end of World War II. In his speech, he intimated that “All real Americans love the sting and the clash of the battle” lifting the spirits of his soldiers such that they were ready for action (Province, 1983). While it is still for the audience to ascertain the effectiveness of pathos in speech, Patton’s artistic skill is evident when the soldiers applaud after he confides that he pities the enemy.
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Logos is another artistic skill used in speaking with intention to appeal to the brain and it is from logos that the word ‘logic’ is derived. Logos is founded on the conception that both the speaker and the listener have mind that are in a capacity to reason and make informed conclusions ( Wróbel, 2015) . Logos requires critical thinking and separates itself from propaganda, radicalization and brainwashing. It is logic that challenges the impractical religious beliefs that certain individuals may use to mislead the society. In Muslim dominated countries, for example, there are clerics who engage in terror activities in the name of instilling sharia law. Although they attempt to convince the observers that they are merely punishing those who are errant, certain ideals like suppression for the feminine gender in matters education among others just beat logic. It is therefore important for the parties involved, both the speaker and the listener, to assess the practicality of their course of action in order to adhere to logos and remain logical.
References
Connors, R. (1979). The Differences between Speech and Writing: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. College Composition and Communication, 30 (3), 285-290. doi:10.2307/356398
Province, C. M. (1983). The Unknown Patton. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Wróbel, S. (2015). "Logos, Ethos, Pathos". Classical Rhetoric Revisited. Polish Sociological Review, (191), 401-421.
