Rhetorical Appeals
According to the Virginia Department of Education's website, the three appeals can be explained in the following way:
"• The Emotional Appeal (Pathos): The appeal based on the emotional response of the audience (e.g., anger, nostalgia, pity, or joy) in order to convince or persuade. The speaker or writer attempts to create an emotional connection of some type with the audience in order to convince them. • The Logical Appeal (Logos): The appeal based on the logical response of the audience in order to convince or persuade. This appeal can include inductive or deductive logic. The appeal establishes a clear and reasonable line of argument in which each claim is given logical support.
• The Ethical Appeal (Ethos): The appeal based on establishing the credibility or authority of a writer or speaker on a topic. This can be established intrinsically or extrinsically, as follows:
° Intrinsic: The internal credibility established by writing or speaking correctly, knowledgeably, and confidently about a topic. For example, if someone discussing a legal uses legal jargon correctly and uses language in a sophisticated way, he or she would establish credibility with the listener.
° Extrinsic: The external credibility a speaker or writer brings to an argument. For example, top hairdressers would be credible if they were arguing against the use of a certain hair product because of their years of experience in the field of hair care, but they would not have extrinsic credibility giving medical advice. In this case, a doctor from a top university medical center would have greater extrinsic credibility."
Works Cited
"Lesson Skill: Media Literacy and Persuasive Writing." Media Literacy and Persuasive Writing. Virginia Department of Education, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
"• The Emotional Appeal (Pathos): The appeal based on the emotional response of the audience (e.g., anger, nostalgia, pity, or joy) in order to convince or persuade. The speaker or writer attempts to create an emotional connection of some type with the audience in order to convince them. • The Logical Appeal (Logos): The appeal based on the logical response of the audience in order to convince or persuade. This appeal can include inductive or deductive logic. The appeal establishes a clear and reasonable line of argument in which each claim is given logical support.
• The Ethical Appeal (Ethos): The appeal based on establishing the credibility or authority of a writer or speaker on a topic. This can be established intrinsically or extrinsically, as follows:
° Intrinsic: The internal credibility established by writing or speaking correctly, knowledgeably, and confidently about a topic. For example, if someone discussing a legal uses legal jargon correctly and uses language in a sophisticated way, he or she would establish credibility with the listener.
° Extrinsic: The external credibility a speaker or writer brings to an argument. For example, top hairdressers would be credible if they were arguing against the use of a certain hair product because of their years of experience in the field of hair care, but they would not have extrinsic credibility giving medical advice. In this case, a doctor from a top university medical center would have greater extrinsic credibility."
Works Cited
"Lesson Skill: Media Literacy and Persuasive Writing." Media Literacy and Persuasive Writing. Virginia Department of Education, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.