Pathos, logos, and ethos are three modes of persuasion that are used in writing and speaking to appeal to an audience. Here is a brief overview of each:
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Pathos: This is the appeal to emotion, which means to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel. Pathos tries to make the audience feel angry, sympathetic, or any other emotion that can help the authors argument.
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Logos: This is the appeal to reason, which means to persuade an audience by building up logical arguments. Logos uses evidence and facts to support the authors argument and tries to convince the audience that the argument is logical and well-reasoned.
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Ethos: This is the appeal to the speakers credibility or authority, which means to persuade an audience by establishing the speakers character and credibility. Ethos tries to make the audience trust the speaker and believe that the speaker is knowledgeable and trustworthy.
These three appeals are sometimes called the rhetorical triangle, and they are central to rhetorical analysis. By recognizing and incorporating these appeals in writing and speaking, authors can create texts that appeal to readers on many different levels.
