Ethos: The Ethical Appeal
Ethos is Greek for “character” and is the ethical or credibility appeal that persuades a reader by using the rhetorician’s character (“A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals”). Ethos involves self-interest of the “greater good” that benefits all. Appealing to ethics and credibility shows that a rhetorician is likable, knowledgeable on the subject, worth listening to, and is worthy of respect. A rhetorician does not necessarily have to be virtuous to incorporate ethos in his or her argument; they simply have to show his or her audience that they are credible by demonstrating that they are intelligent, ethical in character, and therefore arguing with good intentions (“A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals”; Gross & Dascal, 2001, p. 282). This credibility makes the audience believe that a rhetorician is trustworthy - that they are able to give good advice appropriate to his or her argument - and that their argument is just as trustworthy, which makes the audience more likely to see the rhetorician’s argument as true or acceptable (“A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals”; Gross & Dascal, 2001, p. 282).
Ethos can be accomplished in what and how a rhetorician develops and presents his or her argument, such as in the tone and style of an argument and the way a rhetorician speaks on opposing views (Gross & Dascal, 2001, p. 282; “A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals”). Ethos can also be accomplished by citing multiple sources to establish credibility that connects the rhetorician with an authorial individual to prove they are in a knowledgeable position. Further, ethos can even be accomplished by a rhetorician’s prior reputation in the field, like in his or her integrity in previous arguments and in their life in general. Greeks, for instance, used to create ethos by using a family's reputation in the community. However, Aristotle warned against using ethos through purchase or image, which he coined as manipulative decoys, but suggested to use ethos from a person's language use - their inner character. Because readers tend to warm up to rhetoricians that flatter rather than insult them, which creates a positive image in their words, ethos is successful in argument (“A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals”).
Ethos can be accomplished in what and how a rhetorician develops and presents his or her argument, such as in the tone and style of an argument and the way a rhetorician speaks on opposing views (Gross & Dascal, 2001, p. 282; “A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals”). Ethos can also be accomplished by citing multiple sources to establish credibility that connects the rhetorician with an authorial individual to prove they are in a knowledgeable position. Further, ethos can even be accomplished by a rhetorician’s prior reputation in the field, like in his or her integrity in previous arguments and in their life in general. Greeks, for instance, used to create ethos by using a family's reputation in the community. However, Aristotle warned against using ethos through purchase or image, which he coined as manipulative decoys, but suggested to use ethos from a person's language use - their inner character. Because readers tend to warm up to rhetoricians that flatter rather than insult them, which creates a positive image in their words, ethos is successful in argument (“A General Summary of Aristotle's Appeals”).