Aristotle's Three Rhetorical Appeals Of Persuasion

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Aristotle defined three rhetorical appeals or modes of persuasion. These aspects include ethos, logos, and pathos. Although they are not necessary for all persuasive speeches, each one can be helpful in public speaking because they appeal to different parts of our brain. By using more than one type of appeal, you can reach a greater audience and help persuade them to listen to your argument and take action. There are numerous examples of people using the ethical, logical, and emotional appeals to persuade the audience.
Ethos is the ethical appeal. In Greek, “ethos” means “character.” It is used to establish the speaker’s credibility and character with the audience. There are many examples from my own life in which speakers have used the ethical …show more content…

There are many examples of speakers using the different appeals to help get their points across. When I was going into an interview, I used ethos, the ethical appeal, to build my credibility. I added competence by using correct language and grammar, I added trustworthiness by talking about my past leadership experiences, I added dynamism by showing enthusiasm for the job, and I added attractiveness by dressing professionally. The documentary In Debt We Trust, used logos, the logical appeal, to show reasoning for the argument that our individual debts are causing our national debt to rise. The narrator provided this reasoning by stating facts, offering statistics, using real-life examples, giving historical timelines, citing sources, and showing opinions from expert economists. The speaker who worked to convince my high school to stop domestic abuse used pathos, the emotional appeal. She used a serious mood and sad tone when telling her personal story filled with loss to appeal to our social, safety, and survival needs. This prompted a call to action by many students, as the presentation was emotionally moving. These appeals can be used together or separately to persuade the audience and bring about a desired

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