Saturday, May 18, 2019

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, as suggested by Aritotle

The writer with whom I felt rapport was presenting his line of merchandise in a clear and consistent way, backing each point with relevant and sufficient evidence. The writer did not sweat to manipulate the reader, and the text contained no apparent bias. On the contrary, a writer who employs every trick to express the reader seems far less credible. Writers credibility ca be analyzed finished the prism of three classical modes of persuasion Ethos (appeal to authority), Pathos (appeal to emotion), and discussion (appeal to logic), as suggested by Aritotle (1989).As concerns Ethos, audience tends to think speakers that elicit respect and demonstrate their credibility. Personal qualities that render speakers such credibility encompass a sense impression of wisdom (phronesis), goodwill (eunoia), and toughened moral character (arete). Pathos, for its part, implies that a speaker possesses the ability to arouse strong feeling and emotional reactions in his or her listeners. While Aristotle acknowledges the importance of the aforementioned modes of persuasion, he strongly deems that Logos is the most important and effective.Logical corollaries and evidences presented in a clear and consistent manner should persuade the reader of the authority of the speakers thesis rater than authors impressive credentials or emotional appeal. No doubt, writers qualification and expertise play a role, yet well structured argument is of greater importance to me. I would rather believe a talented university student offering an kindle and well researched thesis than a world famous professor arguing that global warming is a myth. Therefore, the most important aspects of persuasive writing are logic, evidence, and structure.

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