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 reasonGreek 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 ethicsGreek for “character”Ethos refers to the
credibility of the writerWays to build your ethos:
Use evidence from credible sources
Acknowledge and respect opposing views
Keep an open mindProofread!
The impact of ethos on an audience is sometimes called the argument’s “ethical appeal”
Pathos
Pathos: Appeal to emotionGreek 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?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SKL254Y_jtc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V-20Qe4M8Y
https://www.youtube.com/user/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.