Use Different Kinds of Appeals

According to Aristotle, there are three primary types of appeals:

Logos: A logical appeal. Also known as an evidential appeal.
Pathos: An appeal to the audience's emotions.
Ethos: Moral expertise and knowledge.

For the purposes of this section, we will explore the two broadest and prevalent appeals, logos and pathos.

Logos (Evidential or Logical Appeal)

From a rationalist's point of view, evidential appeals are the only type of appeal that truly matter. Evidential appeals are formed by defining the evidence and then explaining how the evidence must logically prove that a certain conclusion must be true. Evidential appeals are the only type of persuasive speech allowed in a court of law; the evidence must prove that the defendant has committed the crime in order for that person to be found guilty .

Evidential appeals are also the basis for scientific research. A scientist must be able to show the connection between evidence and a conclusion in order for his/her work to be accepted. In persuasive speaking, the speaker must first explain the evidence in a way that is comprehensible to the audience, yet complete. Then the scientist must explain how that evidence logically leads to a consequence that supports his/her proposal.

Pathos (Emotional Appeal)

An emotional appeal is intended to cause the audience to feel a certain way so that they will be convinced by the speaker. Emotional appeals can manifest in a number of ways. Metaphors, stories, and passionate delivery are all emotional appeals because their effectiveness lies not only in the words, but in the emotions they evoke in the audience. Ultimately, the effectiveness of an emotional appeal is determined only by the audience. If the audience does not feel the intended emotions, by definition, the appeal has failed.

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Content created by Boundless Learning under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License, remixed from a variety of sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethos#Rhetoric
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_emotion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathos
Original content contributed by Lumen Learning

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