Within literature, it's interesting to notice when characters attempt to invoke their own authority and enhance their ethos by reminding other characters of the titles they possess.Authority: A speaker in a high position of authority-for example, a president, or CEO-will possess a certain level of ethos simply because he or she can claim that title.A speaker or writer's credibility can be said to rely on each of the following: So it may give more insight into the meaning of ethos to translate Aristotle's three categories into a new set of categories that make more sense in the modern era. Over time, however, the definition of ethos has broadened, and the significance of the three qualities Aristotle named is now lost on anyone who hasn't studied classical Greek. Eunoia: Good intentions towards the audience.Īristotle argued that a speaker in possession of these three attributes will naturally impress the audience with his or her ethos, and as a result will be better able to influence that audience.Phronesis: Sound reasoning, and relevant experience or expertise.Together, he referred to e thos, logos, and pathos as the three modes of persuasion, or sometimes simply as "the appeals." Aristotle believed that in order to have ethos a good speaker must demonstrate three things:
Here's how to pronounce ethos: ee-thos Ethos ExplainedĪristotle (the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist) first defined e thos, along with logosand pathos, in his treatise on rhetoric, Ars Rhetorica. Any commercial in which a celebrity endorses a product, for example, hopes to persuade its target audience by cultivating an aura of authority or expertise through its association with the celebrity-and is therefore an example of ethos.
Ethos is used in advertising just as often as it is used in public speaking and literature.While ethos appeals to an audience's instinctive respect for authority, logos appeals to the audience's sense of reason, and pathos appeals to the audience's emotions.The three "modes of persuasion"- pathos, logos, and ethos-were originally defined by Aristotle.The word "ethos" is also often used to refer to a community or organization's characteristic belief or spirit, as in the sentence, "We will not give you a larger bonus than your coworkers: that is against our company's ethos of fairness." However, this guide focuses specifically on the rhetorical technique of ethos used in literature and public speaking." This is helpful to remember because speakers often try to establish their own strong moral character by using ethos.
Ethos shares a root with the word "ethics.If the speaker has a high-ranking position, is an expert in his or her field, or has had life experience relevant to a particular topic, anything the speaker says or does to ensure that the audience knows about and remembers these qualifications is an example of ethos. Ethos is an argument that appeals to the audience by emphasizing the speaker's credibility and authority. What is ethos? Here’s a quick and simple definition:Įthos, along with logosand pathos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing).