What is one way to appeal the ethos?

1 Answer
Feb 21, 2018

The Three Rhetorical Appeals is an argument made by Aristotle in which he states that there are three elements to the art of persuasion: ethos, pathos and logos.

Explanation:

Let's review the Three Rhetorical Appeals:

Ethos is the ethical appeal, which intends to persuade the audience of the author's credibility/character.

Pathos is the emotional appeal, which intends to persuade the audience by appealing to their emotions.

Logos is the logical appeal, which intends to persuade the audience using reason and logic.

In order to make an ethos, or ethical, appeal, convince the audience that you are a reliable, intelligent and can be trusted. Here is how you can achieve this:

  • Provide personal experience or know someone whose experience can relate to what you are talking about
  • Use detailed and recent research in your argument
  • Use professional and appropriate vocabulary
  • Avoid sounding overly emotional
  • Only use first person when talking about personal experience; otherwise, write in third person

Good luck!