Aristotle’s Rhetorical Appeals

Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals—ethos, logos, and pathos—are important components of writing (and speaking) from the perspective of you as a writer (or speaker) and as an audience (which Dan touched on with Rhetorical Reading in Chapter 1). Thus, by learning how ethos, logos, and pathos work, and recognizing them when you read, you will be able to use them in your writing, which makes your writing more engaging, appealing to your audience on different levels.

Please watch this quick overview of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Techniques.

Then, watch this clip of President Barrack Obama (1.52 minutes) and respond by sharing in the following Discussion Forum.

DISCUSSION FORUM —

The Rhetorical Triangle: A Strategy To Unravel The Complex Relationships You Create As a Writer

Image Source: Jared Murray on Unsplash.com, @jaredmurray

As you read earlier, the rhetorical triangle is a strategy for you, as a writer, to figure out the complex rhetorical relationships between Aristotle’s three techniques that you are balancing and addressing as you move through the writing process and produce your paper. We have the great Plato to thank for this gift, one you may have been introduced to before this class since the disciplines of composition and rhetoric, philosophy, and speech use it. Hopefully, the more you use these techniques, the more they will become second nature to you as you move through your writing process.

We have a lot to consider when we look at these relationships that, although drawn below are static, are actually fluid in writing since the relationship between topic and writer moves from writer to topic, and topic to writer, and so on.

Answering the questions below will help you figure out the relationships between you, your audience, and your topic, so that you can better define your goals for a particular piece of writing and gain a better sense of purpose as a writer. Let’s have a peek . . .