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Teachers & SchoolsEthos, Pathos, and Logos. Here are some tricks of the trade - A.K.A. Rhetorical Devices - you can use when trying to bring readers around to your point of view. And none of them involve dangling a watch in front of their eyes or asking them to stare into a spinning, spiraling wheel. For more help, check out our other resources!
Essay Writing | Writing Elements and Process |
Language | English Language |
persuading? Thanks to Aristotle, the great thinker from
00:38ancient Greece...
00:39...we have three such tricks that will often get the job done.
00:45They're not foolproof. In other words, they won't usually get you out of mowing the lawn
00:49or doing the dishes...
00:50...but if you're writing an argument essay and want a reader to see, understand and agree
00:55with your point...
00:56...these tricks are the bee's knees. Collectively, they are referred to as rhetorical
01:02devices.
01:03You want to know what they are?
01:06Sorry... rhetorical question.
01:08The three devices are called ethos, pathos and logos.
01:14Once you've mastered these tools, you'll be able to write a stellar essay...
01:18...win political debates...
01:19...and sell just about anything on late-night television.
01:22Let's start with ethos. Ethos means moral character.
01:27When the speaker uses ethos, he's trying to persuade his audience by convincing them that
01:32he's a good guy. So if you pin someone up against a wall and
01:36demand that they prefer Coke to Pepsi...
01:38...it's probably not the most effective means of persuasion.
01:42But if that same person gets the sense that you're a decent human being...
01:45...who just wants to discuss the subject in a calm manner...
01:48...he may be more willing to see another side of the issue.
01:52But moral character alone isn't going to get 'er done.
01:56Enter... pathos.
01:57Pathos means emotion. As a rhetorical device, pathos gets us to stop thinking and start
02:04feeling.
02:06Something political pundits seem to have down to a science.
02:15Ugh... feelings? Does this mean we have to get all lovey-dovey and mushy-wushy?
02:19Well... no. But sometimes appealing to someone's softer side can do the trick.
02:28If you're trying to convince a reader that crude oil is bad for the environment...
02:32...don't just cite figures and fill up the pages with a bunch of charts and graphs.
02:38Talk about the animals that are affected... and often killed... when there's a spill.
02:44It will only help your case if you can get your reader to cry over spilt oil.
02:49And then there's the third and final rhetorical device... logos.
02:53Logos means reason. Here is where all those aforementioned charts,
02:59graphs and figures come into play.
03:02But it's also about explaining to your reader, in clear and concise terms...
03:06...why they should logically agree with your point of view.
03:10It's about providing concrete evidence to support your claims.
03:16If you can make them feel stupid for daring to think differently, all the better.
03:23But watch the name-calling. So when writing an argument essay, don't set
03:30pen to paper without the big three in your corner...
03:32...Ethos, meaning moral character...
03:34...Pathos, meaning emotion...
03:36...and logos, meaning reason. You may also want to use Oreos...
03:41...which won't add anything
03:54to your argument, but they sure are delicious.