Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are three modes of persuasion that can help people communicate more effectively. Used in a combination, these forms of persuasion have the potential to be incredibly powerful persuasive tools. From persuasive speeches to advertisements, to business presentations and more, understanding and putting these methods into action can help individuals build better cases for their ideas, products, services, and more. Let’s take a look at what exactly these terms mean and how to best utilize them.
What Is Ethos?
Ethos is an appeal to an audience’s ethics, morals and values. Ethos is the persuasion appeal that a speaker is ideally an upstanding individual, with expertise in their subject matter and the credibility to back up their points. It is a way of showing the audience that you can be trusted, and it’s based on the concept that, if you can prove you are reliable and ethical, the audience is more likely to view the speaker’s arguments as valid.
Using Ethos
Ethos can be used in a variety of ways. For example, a speaker could highlight their years of experience in a certain field as evidence of their qualifications and expertise. Citing awards or commendations can also help build trust since this indicates recognition of the speaker’s accomplishments and their expertise in the topic. Similarly, mentioning relationships with experts and organizations allows the audience to trust in the speaker’s knowledge of the field and the subject matter at hand.
“The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”
― Jean Giraudoux
Even something as seemingly insignificant as the speaker’s clothing or diction can be used to build trust and appeal to an audience’s values. This is due to the fact that humans are visual creatures, and part of ethos is simply making sure that your external appearance is appropriate for the topic and purpose of the presentation.
What Is Pathos?
Pathos is an appeal to an audience’s emotions in order to generate empathy. It’s a way of connecting with an audience on a personal level and evoking emotions, such as sadness, joy, pride, anger, etc., in order to evoke a response and inspire action.
Using Pathos
Pathos relies heavily on the speaker making a strong emotional connection with their audience in order to persuade them. This could include telling stories or using vivid language to bring an idea to life and make it easier to relate to. Similarly, using imagery or personal anecdotes can be powerful tools for getting the audience to connect to the speaker’s message in an emotional way.
“Emotion is the chief source of all becoming-conscious. There can be no transforming of darkness into light and of apathy into movement without emotion.” ― Carl Jung
In addition, referencing current events can be very effective in terms of drawing an intense emotional response from the audience. This can make the audience more invested in the speaker’s arguments by linking them to existing events and situations that people can connect to on a personal level.
What Is Logos?
Logos is an appeal to an audience’s logic and reason. It relies on facts and evidence as the primary means of persuasion. The goal of logos is to get the audience to understand why a speaker’s argument is valid based on logic and reasoning, rather than emotional connection or the speaker’s character and admirable qualities.
Using Logos
The most effective way to use logos is to explain ideas in a logical, methodical manner. This includes gathering and presenting data in a straightforward and simple way, as well as using evidence from reputable sources to back up your arguments. This can be in the form of studies, quotes, news stories, media, and other sources that further validate your claims. Finally, citing examples specifically related to the subject matter can be effective in terms of getting the audience to see the validity of the speaker’s argument.
“The fact of the matter is that logical thinking isn’t something people are born with — it’s a skill that must be taught.”
― Oluremi Omo, School of Thought
Conclusion
Understanding and utilizing Ethos, Pathos, and Logos can be invaluable tools for communicating effectively. By understanding the basic principles of each of these methods and the best ways to utilize them, anyone can be more successful when it comes to convincing an audience of the validity of their message. While some contexts may be more appropriate for one or another of these approaches, utilizing a combination of these three strategies can be incredibly powerful and effective.
Sources:
Jung, Carl. “Emotion is the Chief Source of All Becoming Conscious.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/carl_jung_168728.
Omo, Oluremi. “Logical Thinking Is a Skill That Must Be Taught.” School of Thought, 26 Mar. 2020, www.sot.net/logical-thinking-is-a-skill-that-must-be-taught/.
Giraudoux, Jean. “The Secret of Success is Sincerity.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jean_giraudoux_124210.
Leave a Reply