CO150—SPRING 2011 Rhetorical Appeals

What Are “Rhetorical Appeals”? Rhetorical Appeals: Persuasive strategies used in arguments to support claims and respond to counterarguments There are three main types of rhetorical appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos Effective arguments generally use a combination of all three appeals Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington (1963)

Logos Logos: Appeal to reason Greek for “word” Logos refers to the internal consistency of the message:  The clarity of the claim  The logic of the reasons  The reliability and effectiveness of the evidence The impact of logos on an audience is sometimes called the argument’s “logical appeal” The Death of Socrates by Jacques- Louis David (1787)

Ethos Ethos: Appeal to ethics Greek for “character” Ethos refers to the credibility of the writer Ways to build your ethos:  Use evidence from credible sources  Acknowledge and respect opposing views  Keep an open mind  Proofread! The impact of ethos on an audience is sometimes called the argument’s “ethical appeal”

Pathos Pathos: Appeal to emotion Greek for “suffering” or “experience” Pathos appeals to the audience’s needs, values, and emotional sensibilities An appeal to pathos causes an audience to identify with the writer’s point of view Often relies on narrative, which can turn abstractions of logic into something palpable and present

Ad 1: Coca- Cola Who is the audience? What is the purpose? What appeals are being made ? How are these appeals being made? Why are these appeals being used?

Ad 2: Camel Cigarettes Who is the audience? What is the purpose? What appeals are being made ? How are these appeals being made? Why are these appeals being used?

Ad 3: Skyy Vodka Who is the audience? What is the purpose? What appeals are being made ? How are these appeals being made? Why are these appeals being used?

Ad 1: 2011 Ford F-150 Who is the audience? What is the purpose? What appeals are being made ? How are these appeals being made? Why are these appeals being used?

TV Ads: Chrysler, Apple, Google Who is the audience? What is the purpose? What appeals are being made ? How are these appeals being made? Why are these appeals being used? feature=player_detailpage&v=SK L254Y_jtc feature=player_detailpage&v=SK L254Y_jtc v=2V-20Qe4M8Y Google?v=bo390-3ohW4 Google?v=bo390-3ohW4

Group Work: Using Rhetorical Appeals Split up into groups of three. You will get a slip of paper with the audience appeal your group represents on it (keep this a secret!). Write a mini-argument in paragraph form, using the strategies we discussed in relation to your particular appeal. The topic is lowering the drinking age. Your audience is either MADD or a Colorado congressperson. We’ll share these in class, so have one group member write down the argument you come up with and designate another group member to share it with us. As a class, we’ll try to determine which audience appeal you used.