Ethical Appeals
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: ETHICAL APPEALS
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Anyone who’s ever bought a pair of Air Jordans has been subjected to what rhetoricians call an ethical appeal. Companies often pay famous people to persuade you to buy their products. After all, while you probably don’t know basketball legend Michael Jordan personally, I’m betting you’d trust him to recommend basketball shoes.
Long before Michael Jordan (or, for that matter, basketball or athletic shoes) Greek philosopher Aristotle described three ways to persuade an audience. He called these modes of persuasion pathos, logos, and ethos. Pathos, Greek for “experience” or “suffering,” is an appeal to an audience’s emotions, and logos, meaning “word,” is an appeal to logic. Ethos, meaning “character,” persuades listeners based on the credibility of the speaker.
When speakers use ethos to convince an audience of something, rhetoricians call that an “ethical appeal.” So, when 4 out of 5 dentists agree, that’s an ethical appeal.
Aristotle further distinguished two types of ethos: situated and invented. Situated ethos comes from something the audience knows ahead of time. Michael Jordan’s credibility, for instance, is based on the widespread recognition of his talent. Titles and credentials also help establish this kind of ethos. For example, you’re more likely to listen to medical advice from someone with “M.D.” after their name.
Invented ethos, on the other hand, is used by speakers in a particular circumstance to convince us they’re worth listening to. The words and style they use influence our perception of them and help establish their ethos. Speakers discussing controversial topics might, for example, seem more credible if they speak in a calm, rational manner. Likewise, writers who follow accepted rules of grammar and style are typically more convincing to an audience than those who ignore them—although what constitutes “accepted rules” depends on the audience. For instance, academic writers who adhere to the stylistic conventions of their discipline will enhance their credibility.
Do you believe me right now? Find me credible? If so, it’s likely a mix of invented and situated ethos. Invented ethos because I’ve told you about the historical roots of ethical appeals to demonstrate my knowledge on the subject. Situated ethos because, well, I’m on your radio and, presumably, had to meet certain standards to be here. So, you’ll probably believe what I have to say about ethical appeals. However, if I were trying to sell you shoes? Well, I’ll leave that to Michael Jordan.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: ETHICAL APPEALS
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Anyone who’s ever bought a pair of Air Jordans has been subjected to what rhetoricians call an ethical appeal. Companies often pay famous people to persuade you to buy their products. After all, while you probably don’t know basketball legend Michael Jordan personally, I’m betting you’d trust him to recommend basketball shoes.
Long before Michael Jordan (or, for that matter, basketball or athletic shoes) Greek philosopher Aristotle described three ways to persuade an audience. He called these modes of persuasion pathos, logos, and ethos. Pathos, Greek for “experience” or “suffering,” is an appeal to an audience’s emotions, and logos, meaning “word,” is an appeal to logic. Ethos, meaning “character,” persuades listeners based on the credibility of the speaker.
When speakers use ethos to convince an audience of something, rhetoricians call that an “ethical appeal.” So, when 4 out of 5 dentists agree, that’s an ethical appeal.
Aristotle further distinguished two types of ethos: situated and invented. Situated ethos comes from something the audience knows ahead of time. Michael Jordan’s credibility, for instance, is based on the widespread recognition of his talent. Titles and credentials also help establish this kind of ethos. For example, you’re more likely to listen to medical advice from someone with “M.D.” after their name.
Invented ethos, on the other hand, is used by speakers in a particular circumstance to convince us they’re worth listening to. The words and style they use influence our perception of them and help establish their ethos. Speakers discussing controversial topics might, for example, seem more credible if they speak in a calm, rational manner. Likewise, writers who follow accepted rules of grammar and style are typically more convincing to an audience than those who ignore them—although what constitutes “accepted rules” depends on the audience. For instance, academic writers who adhere to the stylistic conventions of their discipline will enhance their credibility.
Do you believe me right now? Find me credible? If so, it’s likely a mix of invented and situated ethos. Invented ethos because I’ve told you about the historical roots of ethical appeals to demonstrate my knowledge on the subject. Situated ethos because, well, I’m on your radio and, presumably, had to meet certain standards to be here. So, you’ll probably believe what I have to say about ethical appeals. However, if I were trying to sell you shoes? Well, I’ll leave that to Michael Jordan.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]