Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Definition and Literary Examples

The Times is full of persuasive languages these days. 

The terms Ethos, Pathos, Logos are "modes for persuasion". The terms which are also referred to as the three artistic proofs and represented by Greek words are coined by the Aristotle. The terms are used to persuade people to believe a particular point of view.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos Definition and Literary Examples

Definition and  literary examples for Ethos

ETHOS:   Also knows as an Appeal to Ethics, then, means to convince audience/s by using the authority or credibility of the persuader. A speaker uses ethos to show to his/her audience that the speaker is a credible source and he is worth to listen. The word Ethos comes from the Greek word "character" and the word "ethic" is derived from Ethos. 

  

     Here, some examples of Ethos that the speaker may use and examples for the use of Ethos in literature:

·     "As a Professor, I am qualified enough to tell you that this course of treatment will likely bring the best results for us."

·         I have studied this topic for the past ten years. So, I am qualified to tell you that this is not the correct way of teaching language to young learners.

• "My two decades of experience in public utility, my indefatigable commitment to the people of this community make me the ideal candidate for your future mayor."

·         "If my life as a Marine taught me anything, it's that attention is the best policy in this type of problems."

“I want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, because we all know the press is under siege these days. But we also, know it’s the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and to injustice, to tyrants and victims, and secrets and lies. I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this: what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.”

Definition and  literary examples of PATHOS

PATHOS:    Known as Emotional appeal. Here, the speaker tries to persuade the audience/s by appealing their emotions. There are some common ways of using Pathos like drawing pity from the audience by using emotional tone and invoking sympathy from the audience/s to make them feel as the speaker wants them to feel.  Pathos is an also Greek word for “suffering”.  Words like suffering, pathetic and empathy are derived from Pathos

Here, some examples of Pathos that speaker may use and examples for the use of Pathos in literature:

•           "Don't be the last person on the block to have their lawn treated - you don't want to be the laughing stock of your relations!"
•          "If we don't accept the offer, we're all going to die here! Can't you see how dangerous it would be to stay?"

•          “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”—Martin Luther King Jr., “I have a dream” speech

•        “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”—John F. Kennedy, “We choose to go to the moon” speech

•          "You should consider another route if you leave later. I heard that that nature is far more dangerous and ominous at night than during the daytime."
•          "Better men than us have fought and died to preserve this great nation. Now is our turn to be a hero for our country.  For God sake and for our country, gentlemen, soldiers!"

Definition and  literary examples of LOGOS

LOGOS:    Also known as Logical Appeal. Logos is another way of persuading the audience/s by use of logic and reason and facts.  To use logos, speaker, should use facts, statistics, literal and historical analogies,  scientific results and constructed logical arguments. Logos is also a Greek word and the word “logic” is derived from Logos

     

 Here, some examples of The pathos that speaker may use and examples for the use of Logos in literature:

·         "The data for the test is perfectly clear: this investment has everlastingly turned a profit year-over-year, even in spite of market declines in some areas."

·         "More then two thousand peer-reviewed studies have been conducted over the past 2 decades and none of them suggests that this is an effective treatment for hair loss."

·         "You won't find any rabbit along this road. In 15 years of driving the same route, I haven't seen a single one."

·         "Research compiled by analysts from NASA, as well as organizations from five other nations with space programs, suggests that a moon colony is viable with international support."

·         “In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy.”        (1984 by George Orwell)