Ethos, pathos, and logos are techniques of persuasion that form the rhetorical triangle. They are used to convince an audience of a particular point of view or to persuade them to take a particular action. The three terms were first introduced by Aristotle in his explanations of rhetoric, or the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience.
Here is a brief explanation of each term:
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Ethos: This refers to persuasion based on the credibility or authority of the speaker. Ethos appeals to the audiences sense of trust in the speaker's character, expertise, or reputation.
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Pathos: This refers to persuasion based on emotion. Pathos appeals to the audience's feelings, trying to make them feel a certain way, such as angry, sympathetic, or inspired.
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Logos: This refers to persuasion based on logic or reason. Logos appeals to the audience's sense of reason, building up logical arguments and using evidence and facts to support a claim.
These three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle, and they are central to rhetorical analysis, though a piece of rhetoric might not necessarily use all of them.
