Gore's Use Of Ethos Pathos Logos

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One ordinary man finds himself standing in a colossal room. He looks into the audience, seeing an overwhelming amount of strangers who each share a slightly different opinion on the subject at hand. How can one individual spark a fire in the minds of such an eclectic group? Al Gore, an American politician and environmentalist, encounters this exact situation. He wishes to spread his message on global warming and inspire the audience to take action. Persuading just one person is an arduous task, but effectively confronting an entire audience requires extensive knowledge on persuasive tactics. The speaker must have a playbook containing an array of rhetorical strategies that are dispersed throughout the entire presentation. The playbook needs …show more content…

Ethos, logos, pathos --- which method is necessary when presenting about a topic (6)? The correct answer does not consist of one method alone; instead, a speaker must apply all three tactics to effectively present information to an audience. Through a combination of ethos, logos, pathos, Gore establishes a meaningful connection with the audience, opening a door to their minds (4). They no longer view Al Gore or the information about global warming as being forced upon them. Instead, they absorb the presentation and begin to question their previous beliefs. He establishes the ethos of a normal man who possesses extensive knowledge on a crisis that focuses on morality. He wishes to provide the public with accurate information in order to drive them to take action. Instead of addressing a group of congressmen, Gore speaks directly to the people. The most common method, to establish ethos, within the presentation was through visual elements. Nearly every claim Gore makes about his life is supported by visual evidence such as pictures and videos and graphs (4a). However, ethos is only one point in the triangle of persuasion. Logical reasoning is also a necessary element. Gore uses expert testimonies to provide the audience with factual information from a valid source; for example, when Tony Blair, a scientific advisor, speaks about the temperature changes in Greenland. Gore also appeals to logos through inductive and deductive reasoning. Using these two strategies assures that the audience can follow the information and is unlikely to become overwhelmed. Smoothly switching between general and specific information greatly increases fluidity within a presentation. Lastly, Gore applies the rhetorical device of pathos in order to connect with the emotions of the audience. He needs to pull on their heart strings, draw a few laughs, yet remain near to the subject. The

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