Analyzing Ethos, Pathos and Logos in a Persuasive Article
Forum Objective: Analyze ethos, logos, and pathos in an article from your field.
A persuasive argument is most convincing when it appeals to readers in the ways they would be most moved. Since readers are moved by different elements, it is important we appeal to as many readers as possible:
- Ethos—credibility of author, credibility of sources, morality, values
- Pathos—emotions, sympathy, empathy, relevance, personal connection
- Logos—logic, research, data, reasoning, irrefutable proof, sound explanations
First, read these articles about types of appeals and then follow the instructions below.
Ethos This appeal to credibility is known as “ethos.” Ethos is a method of persuasion in which the speaker or writer (the “rhetor”) attempts to persuade the audience by demonstrating his own credibility or authority
.Pathos Pathos offers a way for the audience to relate to the subject through commonly held emotions. However, it is important to determine when pathos will be useful and when it will only serve to muddy the argumentative water
.Logos Logos is the appeal to logic. Logos isn’t logic like the formal logic in math, philosophy, or even computer science; it is the consistency and clarity of an argument as well as the logic of evidence and reasons.
Initial Post
Step 1: In your chosen discipline, find an article, ideally one that is persuasive to make the task easier, but even a scholarly, informative article can still have evidence of the appeals.
- Go to the Library.
- Navigate to the Articles & Databases tab of the large search box at the center of the library homepage.
- Search for topics in your field.
- Find an article related to your Week 5 Position Paper, “the benefits of traveling to education“something you might use as a source for the project.
- Read it for the 3 rhetorical appeals.
Step 2: In your initial post this week in the forum, provide the link to the piece you evaluated. Then discuss the effectiveness of the piece based on your “grading” of its use of appeals.
- Identify the rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, pathos) used in the piece and discuss their effectiveness.
- Does this article have ethos? How is the author an expert in the field?
- Does this article have logos? Is there a thesis statement in the article?
- Does the article have pathos? How does the writer appeal to the reader’s emotions or connect to the reader?
- After analyzing this article, do you believe it would be a good source for your Position Paper? Why or why not?
350-400 words APA format, at least two references
