The Three Elements of a Persuasive Argument
THE THREE ELEMENTS OF A PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT: ETHOS, LOGOS, AND PATHOS
Aristotle (384-322 b.c.e.) studied with the great philosopher Plato and tutored young Alexander the Great. He wrote more than 400 books, including the Rhetoric, which is used to this day as a foundational work in the study of argumentation. Aristotle said that rhetoric (argumentation) involves using all the available means of persuasion and he defined the means of persuasion as ethos (personal credibility), logos (logical organization and reasoning), and pathos (emotional appeal).
Ethos: Speaker Credibility
From his many observations of persuasive speeches given in the courts and in the marketplace, Aristotle concluded that ethos, the credibility, image, and reputation of a speaker, was one of the most important means of persuasion. Modern researchers have discovered that ethos involves three specific dimensions: expertise, trustworthiness, and dynamism.2 Much of your ethos, your credibility or reputation as a speaker, will come through the same methods that help you to overcome speech fear. When you are well prepared to speak and have conviction about your topic, your audience will give you respect and attention. Speaker credibility can be achieved through specific effort and planning. Speakers are seen as credible when:
1. They can be clearly heard by the audience. 2. They show that they have done their homework on a topic by using well cited research to support their key points.
2Charles U. Larson, Persuasion, 9th edition (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing), 2001, pp. 205-208.
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3. They are easy to understand because they are well organized. 4. They are easy to understand because they have rehearsed the speech before giving it. 5. They show respect for the audience by using language and examples that can be understood (not too complex or
Aristotle (384-322 b.c.e.) studied with the great philosopher Plato and tutored young Alexander the Great. He wrote more than 400 books, including the Rhetoric, which is used to this day as a foundational work in the study of argumentation. Aristotle said that rhetoric (argumentation) involves using all the available means of persuasion and he defined the means of persuasion as ethos (personal credibility), logos (logical organization and reasoning), and pathos (emotional appeal).
Ethos: Speaker Credibility
From his many observations of persuasive speeches given in the courts and in the marketplace, Aristotle concluded that ethos, the credibility, image, and reputation of a speaker, was one of the most important means of persuasion. Modern researchers have discovered that ethos involves three specific dimensions: expertise, trustworthiness, and dynamism.2 Much of your ethos, your credibility or reputation as a speaker, will come through the same methods that help you to overcome speech fear. When you are well prepared to speak and have conviction about your topic, your audience will give you respect and attention. Speaker credibility can be achieved through specific effort and planning. Speakers are seen as credible when:
1. They can be clearly heard by the audience. 2. They show that they have done their homework on a topic by using well cited research to support their key points.
2Charles U. Larson, Persuasion, 9th edition (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing), 2001, pp. 205-208.
Persuasive Speaking 379
3. They are easy to understand because they are well organized. 4. They are easy to understand because they have rehearsed the speech before giving it. 5. They show respect for the audience by using language and examples that can be understood (not too complex or
Bibliography: The Ethics of Organ Transplanting: The Current Debate, Arthur Caplan, 1998, pp. 41-43. The Encyclopedia of Health, Dale C. Garell, M.D. General Editor, Jeffrey Finn and Eliot Marshall, 1990, pp. 67-69, 95-97. 133-135. The Nicholas Greene Effect: A Boy 's Gift to the World, Reg Greene, 1999, pp. 181-183. 5A. H. Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1968).