Defining Ethos, Pathos, & Logos

“What” the rhetor (speaker/writer) wants the listener or reader to believe or do Three “artistic appeals” Ethos Pathos Logos

Trustworthiness and character of the speaker/writer. Do you think the speaker is credible? What kind of reputation does the speaker have? Written characteristics: Language appropriate to audience and subject Restrained, sincere, fair-minded presentation Appropriate level of vocabulary and correct grammar Think: Who is the speaker and what proof do they give you that makes you want to believe them?

42 nd President of the U.S. from Longest period of peace-time and economic expansion in American history. Unemployment rate dropped by half, while the economy created some 15 million jobs. Produce the first balanced federal budget in three decades.

In 1998, Clinton was accused of committing adulterous acts in the White House. Charged with perjury and obstruction of justice after evidence emerged to prove that he given a false testimony. Acquitted of all charges, but trial had devastating effects on his reputation.

Appeal to sympathies, values, beliefs and emotions of the audience. Powerful when used in combination with logos and ethos; on its own is seen as manipulative Characteristics: Personal accounts or stories that evoke sympathy Connotation of certain words to evoke emotion Figurative language Images often used because often evoke strong emotions Think: What is the author doing to make you feel emotionally about the subject?

Be an Angel Cleft Palate Foundations

Appeal made to reason or audience’s intellectual side Characteristics: Facts Statistics Logic/Reason Citations from aspects/authorities Quotes Historical Analogies Think: What is the author’s claim and how is he/she attending to the logical reasoning of the claim?

The divorce rate of marriages in the United States. Standardized test scores in high schools Unemployment rate The rate of global warming Obesity in America

Remember, these strategies are working together.

Cold War ( ) consisted of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition between primarily the USSR and the US. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) (aka Star Wars) was proposed by Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The ambitious initiative was "widely criticized as being unrealistic, even unscientific" as well as re-ignite "an offensive arms race".

Florida, January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched with seven persons aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, a 37-year-old teacher from New Hampshire, who was to be the first ordinary citizen in space. 73 seconds flight due to an explosion apparently caused by a failure in the joint between the two lower segments of the right solid rocket motor. The disaster was witnessed live on TV by many thousands of school children watching McAuliffe venture on what she had described as "the ultimate field trip." That evening, President Ronald Reagan consoled the Nation from the Oval Office.

Activity: Individually, review Reagan’s speech again and identify written examples of logos, pathos, ethos. Answer the following questions on your handout: 1.What is Reagan’s message (angle of vision)? 2.Identify the exigence, audience, and constraints. 3.Which appeal(s) does Reagan use most frequently? What effect does this have on his intended audience?

Through the use of [a specific rhetorical strategy or strategies], the text attempts to persuade its audience [be specific about who the text is attempting to persuade] of [something].

1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “First inaugural Address” 1963 Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” 1968 Robert F. Kennedy’s “Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.”