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Pathos

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aishaxmaille
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English Department – Communication Skills

English 102 Fall 2023-24

Pathos, Logos, and Ethos


Most people are able to drive a car without fully understanding how the car operates. Making an
argument is the same way. Most of us attempt to persuade people every day without
understanding how persuasion works. Learning how a strong argument is crafted empowers us to
better communicate and persuade others to understand our viewpoints.

What Are Pathos, Logos, and Ethos?


Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are three strategies commonly employed when attempting to persuade
a reader.

Pathos, or the appeal to emotion, means to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain
emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel. Authors make deliberate
word choices, use meaningful language, and use examples and stories that evoke emotion.
Authors can desire a range of emotional responses, including sympathy, anger, frustration, or
even amusement.

Logos, or the appeal to logic, means to appeal to the audiences’ sense of reason or logic. To use
logos, the author makes clear, logical connections between ideas, and includes the use of facts
and statistics. Using historical and literal analogies to make a logical argument is another
strategy. There should be no holes in the argument, also known as logical fallacies, which are
unclear or wrong assumptions or connections between ideas.

Ethos is used to convey the writer’s credibility and authority. When evaluating a piece of
writing, the reader must know if the writer is qualified to comment on this issue. The writer can
communicate their authority by using credible sources; choosing appropriate language;
demonstrating that they have fairly examined the issue (by considering the counterargument);
introducing their own professional, academic or authorial credentials; introducing their own
personal experience with the issue; and using correct grammar and syntax.

Sample Paragraph
Imagine this: a small dog sits in a dark, cold garage. His hair is matted and dirty; he is
skinny and weak from going days without food. There is no water for him to drink, no
person to give him love and no blanket to keep him warm at night 1. While this might be a
hard scenario to imagine, it is not an uncommon one in America today. According to the
Humane Society of the United States, nearly 1,000,000 animals are abused or die from
abuse every year2. As a veterinarian with 30 years of experience, I have seen how even
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one incident of abuse can affect an animal for the rest of its life 3. As a society, we need to
be more aware of this terrible problem and address this issue before it gets worse.
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Pathos: the author paints a vivid picture to evoke a feeling from the reader—sadness and pity
for the abused animal.
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Logos: the author uses a startling statistic to appeal to our intellect. Keep in mind that these
three strategies can often overlap. This sentence qualifies as both Logos and Ethos because it
cites a reputable organization, so we know the author is using credible sources.
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Ethos: the author establishes their own credibility by stating their occupation and experience.>

How Do I Know if the Author is Using Pathos, Logos or Ethos?


Pathos—does the writer appeal to the emotions of their reader?
 Do they use individuals’ stories to “put a face” on the problem you’re exploring? For
example, using an individual’s story about losing their home during the mortgage crisis
of the 2008 Recession may be more powerful than using only statistics.
 Do they use charged language or words that carry appropriate connotations? For
example, if a writer describes a gun as a “sleek, silver piece of sophisticated weaponry,”
they are delivering a much different image than if she writes, “a cold hunk of metal, dark
and barbaric and ready to kill.”

Logos—does the writer appeal to the rational mind by using logic and evidence?
 Do they include facts and statistics that support their point? It’s more convincing to
tell the reader that “80% of students have committed some form of plagiarism,” than
simply saying that “Lots of students have plagiarized.”
 Do they walk us through the logical quality of their argument? Do they show us how
ideas connect in a rational way? For example: “English students have been able to raise
their overall grade by meeting with peer tutors, so it’s safe to assume that math students
could also benefit from frequent tutoring sessions.” This example points out that
logically, if the result has been seen in one situation, then it should be seen in a different
but similar situation.
 Do they avoid logical fallacies? A few examples of these are:
o Hasty generalizations: “Even though the movie just started, I know it’s going to be
boring.”
o Slippery Slope: “If the government legalizes marijuana, eventually they’ll legalize all
drugs.”
o Circular Argument: “Barack Obama is a good communicator because he speaks
effectively.”

Ethos—is this writer trustworthy?


 What are their credentials? Are they an expert in the field? Have they written past
essays, articles or books about this topic?
 Do they use reputable sources? Do they support her statements with sources from
established publications like The New York Times or a government census report? Do
they fail to mention any sources?

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 Are they a fair-minded person who has considered all sides of this issue? Have they
acknowledged any common ground they share with the opposite side? Do they include a
counterargument and refutation?

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