Research Guides: Business Presentation Skills: Making Arguments

Rhetoric: Logos Ethos Pathos

A Summary of Aristotle's Appeals . . .

The goal of argumentation is to persuade your audience that your ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the means of persuasion, appeals, into three categories--Logos, Ethos, Pathos.

Logos (Logic) means persuading by the use of reasoning. This is a very important technique in academic writing, but also when making persuasive presentation, and it was Aristotle's favorite. Consider both deductive and inductive reasoning, and what makes an effective, persuasive reason to back up your claims. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, and cannot be emphasized enough. What types of support can you use to substantiate your thesis, and what are some of the common logical fallacies, that you should avoid in your writing?

Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom we respect. One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect. Be sure your audience is aware of your credentials and why you are qualified to address the topic about which you are speaking.

Pathos (Emotion) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look at texts ranging from classic essays to contemporary advertisements to see how pathos, emotional appeals, are used to persuade. Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.

SOURCE: adapted from Durham Technical College handout

Guides from the OWL at Purdue

Developing Strong Thesis Statements
An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.
Using Research and Evidence
Whether you use first hand (primary) research or secondary research is research the sources you use must be credible. In other words, your sources must be reliable, accurate, and trustworthy.
Organizing your argument
Use an organizational structure that arranges the argument in a way that will make sense to the reader. The Toulmin Method of logic is a common and easy to use formula for organizing an argument.
Using Rhetorical Strategies for Persuasion
There are three types of rhetorical appeals, or persuasive strategies, used in arguments to support claims and respond to opposing arguments. A good argument will generally use a combination of all three appeals to make its case.