Ethos, Pathos, Logos, Hooray!

Ethos is typically associated with ancient philosophers and ethical arguments. It is also part of a matched set, including pathos and logos. Ethos is also a vital element in argumentative and persuasive writing that when used in conjunction with its siblings, makes an argument difficult to refute.

What is Ethos?

Derived from the Greek ēthos, Ethos is a literary technique that appeals to an audience or reader’s sense of ethics. This type of writing highlights the speaker or author’s authority, knowledge, and trustworthiness. Ethos is commonly found in argumentative and persuasive writing and was a popular technique employed by ancient philosophers. To use Ethos effectively, writers typically incorporate the combination of Ethos, Pathos,and Logos.

Writers Employ Ethos When …

Writers use Ethos in their writing when they want to convey authority, knowledge, and trustworthiness. When making an argument, the audience or reader needs to be won over, but to succeed, the writer needs to establish their trustworthiness. In short, Ethos establishes an author’s credibility and builds an emotional connection with a reader or audience.

How to Use Ethos Effectively Some Tried and True Tactics

Establish your credibility by using only credible, reliable sources to build your argument. Be sure to properly cite those sources.
Respect your audience or reader by clearly and accurately stating the opposing position.
Avoid fallacies. Acknowledge values and beliefs on Both sides of the argument to build an emotional connection with your audience or reader.
Make sure your argument is organized in a logical, easy to follow format. Most writers prefer the Toulmin method or a chronological sequence.
Proofread your argument. Mistakes cast doubt on your credibility and weaken your authority.

The 3 Categories of Ethos

Ethos is a term used to describe the persuasive appeal of an argument based on the character or credibility of the speaker. There are three main types of ethos, but all are incorporated into your one argument.

Phronesis – The wisdom and intelligence you possess as a writer. To build credibility, demonstrate a vast knowledge of the topic you are arguing.
Arete – This is the moral virtue or charity of your argument. Take time to lay this out for your audience or reader. This is the morality of your argument, the catch, if you will.
Eunoia – This is the goodwill you establish with your audience or reader. You’ve established your trustworthiness and knowledge and now you need to emotionally connect with them by building a good rapport.

Ethos in Literature 📚

The use of Ethos in literature is vast, most commonly identified in philosophical arguments but also in satire. For example, Jonathan Swift’s, A Modest Proposal, employs Ethos to appeal to the reader and convince the reader that his suggestion to use children as a food source is both reasonable and plausible. Because his argument is both genuine and humorous, it’s easy to get past the shock and horror of what he is suggesting because his argument is so convincing.

With this statement, Swift establishes his credibility by stating “a very worthy person” put the suggestion to him and therefore, it must be a true possibility. This is, of course, because Swift is well-spoken and clearly well-educated; the “very worthy person”  can only be a person of high rank and authority, possibly even nobility, which effectively establishes his credibility.

Another, more traditional example, that does not involve killing babies for food, comes from a passage in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. In the passage below, Atticus Finch is addressing the jury on behalf of his son. In doing so, he appeals to each individual member’s sense of ethos:

Ethos in Contemporary Writing 🧸

Due to the nature of Ethos, the concept cannot be broadly applied over multiple genres as easily as other literary tools. However, it is relevant in a large body of contemporary writing. Some examples of what this refers to include:

The Op-ed – The argument may be rooted in moral tradition and use relatable anecdotes (eunoia) from the author’s past to build a moral connection with the reader.
A Memoir – Example: An Olympic gold medalist details the sacrifices made and the challenges faced on the road to success. The author includes information about their upbringing, relatable stories from their past, moral dilemmas they had to overcome, and the reason they were so driven to succeed. All these things add credibility to the story.
A Newspaper article – In a newspaper article (yes, newspapers are on the way out, but digital reporting is not), the reporter reveals the extensive research conducted on the way to the final product. The article is something that appeals to the public because the author may have uncovered corruption or is breaking news on the destruction of something of significance to the community.

To be clear, these inclusions are not a complete representation of the full scope of modern applications of Ethos in writing. They are but a mere sampling.

Ethos in Songs 🎧

Someone once said, “music is what feelings sound like.” You have to wonder if that person knew their words would ever be included in discussion on Ethos in song lyrics. While most probably would not think to look or realize that it exists in song, there are quite a few impactful lyricists out there using Ethos in their art. Listed below are few notable selections.

“Imagine,” John Lennon – This song relies on ethos to encourage listeners to imagine a world without war, poverty, and other social ills but also, to act against these injustices.

And also,

“We Are the World,” USA for Africa – Without even listening to the song, the collaboration and cooperation of the many different artists who took part in its making is enough to build credibility for the cause it supports. But if you do listen to the song, it relies on ethos to appeal to the listener’s sense of compassion and responsibility toward those in need and begs the listener to act.

Ethos in Poetry ✍🏽

As we examine the use and effectiveness of ethos in poetry, one poem comes to mind above all others.

Langston Hughes’ “Let America be America Again” – In this famous poem Hughes’ appeals to all the suppressed Americans who feel they do not get what they deserve from their beloved country. By appealing to the reader’s ethos, Hughes prompts the disenfranchised marginalized to take action to get what is due to them. Note how Hughes appeals to everyone, and pleads with them building the necessary connection to hold the reader’s attention while building trust and credibility.

Ethos in Film 🎥

More often than not the examples chosen pertain more to traditional texts and film examples. This time the choice was clear. While still not a traditional example of Ethos, Dumbledore’s appeal to the students’ sense of the term comes across plain and true in the following clip.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – Dumbledore speaks on Cedric’s death

Ethos in Advertising 📺

When used in advertising, Ethos is typically demonstrated using a well-known or respected celebrity endorsing the product. Because the person is famous, well-known, and highly thought of, regardless of if these things are true or not, the ad quickly establishes its message as credible because the perception of trustworthiness exists through the celebrity’s approval and endorsement of the product.

Some popular pairings with high success are:

Nike + Billie Eilish / Nike + Serena Williams
Ipsy + Alicia Keys
Our Place + Selena Gomez
Coach + Lil Nas X

Often Confused With…/Related literary devices 👥

Pathos – The appeal made to an audience or reader’s emotions. This is how you persuade the audience or reader to believe you are credible and trustworthy while pulling them to your side.

Logos – An appeal to logic. A logical order and flow creates a sense of authority and convinces your audience of your credibility.