This document discusses rhetoric and the rhetorical triangle of ethos, pathos, and logos. It defines each element of the rhetorical triangle. Ethos refers to the credibility of the communicator, pathos refers to appealing to the emotions of the audience, and logos refers to using facts and data to support an argument. The document traces the origins of rhetoric back to Ancient Greece and Aristotle. It notes that while communication methods have changed, effective persuasion still relies on establishing ethos, appealing to pathos, and using logos.

1. Rhetoric
LO: To understand rhetoric: ethos, pathos
and logos.

2. What is Rhetoric?
Rhetoric is the art and study of the use of
language with persuasive effect.

3. Rhetorical Triangle

4. Definitions
• Ethos-credibility or character as a reflection of the
communicator. Often, ethical appeals are based on
trust and community.
• Logos-facts, data, statistics of the message. The
logos is the information presented as fact. Often,
logos uses numbers.
• Pathos-emotions of the audience. Emotional
appeals might inspire patriotism, happiness,
sadness, anger, and other emotions in the audience.

5. All appeals work together and the most
persuasive messages use all
three…..pathos, ethos, and logos.

6. Let’s look at Aristotle…
• Aristotle (384 B.C.-322 B.C.) composed a body of
work on defining rhetoric.
• His writings on rhetoric and the dialectic,
developed more than 2000 years ago, are still
relevant today.

7. It started in Greece.
• The term “rhetoric” arose to describe the
tools and methods to actively persuade the
listeners of the merits presented to them in
political discussions.
• The term "dialectic" meant the form in which
a discussion would take. Two or more people
have opposing views on some issue which
can be debated to persuade an audience that
their view is correct.

9. Comparing Now and Then
Ancient Greece
• The Greeks met in their
towns and villages. Most
of the population would
have little formal
education. The Greek
orator was praised by his
fluency, stature, and
ability to be heard.
Modern Day
• Today, persons who engage in
public debate have a greater
range of tools to incorporate
to make their message
known. Public relations firms
are hired, professional speech
writers are employed, and
advertising is used to
generate a positive public
perception of their agenda.

10. What remains the same between the
Greek use of rhetoric and those used in
political system today?
• A speaker today still uses the logos, pathos, and
ethos introduced by Aristotle. Speakers will use
arguments whether or not backed by logic to
make their point, the logos. They evoke the
credibility of the speaker argument, the ethos, to
say that it is "the right thing to do because I can
be trusted”. And pathos, appeal to emotion.

11. Homework Task
• Memorise the Denotations of: Ethos,
Pathos, Logos