Approach to Persuasion

Embracing an individual’s point of view by means of reasoning, argument or entreaty is an act of persuasion. An individual is regularly confronted by persuasion throughout their everyday life. It takes place in various situations that are categorized in three sections, the appeal to emotion, the appeal to reason, and the appeal to one’s character. Furthermore, this leads to an influential aspect. It is from one’s characteristic to be influenced by persuasion, thus, to be overlooked by outside sources. This is not only found as a human speaks, but persuasion is the aim of advertisements, and political candidates who are trying to sway voters to vote for them. Since Ancient times, persuasive techniques have been observed and studied but due to its importance, physiologists formally began to study of persuasive techniques in the 20th century.

The focus of persuasion is to awaken a belief by the appeal to reason, and the use of emotional appeals, and the appeals to one’s character. According to Aristotle and others who tend to echo his belief, these are three these "artistic" or "intrinsic" proofs. Aristotle calls them Ethos, Pathos and Logos. The appeals to reason - Logos is the use logical arguments, logic, rhetoric, the scientific method and proof to persuade. In contrary, the appeal to emotion - Pathos, is the use of advertising, faith, presentation and imagination, propaganda, seduction, tradition and pity for persuasion. Furthermore, Ethos is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology (Reynolds). Usually the appeals to reason, and the appeal to emotion, are applied together for more efficient and faster persuasion. These methods ta...

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...can be defined as "...a symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors regarding an issue through the transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free choice." Aristotle describes persuasion in three different forms: Ethos, Pathos and Logos. Ethos is the persuasive appeal of ones character, Pathos is the appeal to emotion and Logos is the appeal to reason. A persuader should use these forms of persuasion, moreover, motivate them and satisfy them by introducing that what is being convinced fulfills a need.

Works Cited

Reynolds, Nedra. “Ethos as Location: New sites for Understanding Discursive Authority.” Rhetoric Review. 11.22 (1993): 235-338. Print.

Shell, Moussa, and Mario G. Richard. The Art of Woo: Using strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas. New York: Penguin Group, 2007. 2-163. Print