Most people have only heard of the rhetoric concepts of ethos, pathos, logos, Telos and Kairos, but they do not know what they mean. These terms are used mainly by Aristotle (book writer/author) in explaining how rhetoric functions. In ancient Greek, the works corresponded with rhetorical situations (Aristotle 33). The terms are used in advertising, especially in persuading the audience. The three common basic words used in persuading are ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos is referred as credible or the ethical appeal (Aristotle 89). Therefore, it means convincing people based on the character of the individual, for example, in most cases, people believe in those people they respect like the leaders. For example, when I was the class monitor in my final grade, I took advantage of the position. I knew I was a respectable person to my juniors. I used my position to convince the young ones to clean the compound as I knew I was in authority. When I wanted the compound cleaned, I could gather them at them and order them to clean, and they could clean within the shortest time. However, this was different from other students who did not have convincing power as I had due to my respectable position.
The concept of logos means the use of logical reasoning in arguments. Therefore, it means persuading the audience through the use of reasoning. One can use statistics to show facts, use of historical data or evidence (Herrick 55). One time I was called in a presentation of the causes of hair loss. The topic was discussed in our biology class, but we did not have a conclusive answer. However, I decided to come up with facts that would convince the audience or class members on the way forward. In my presentation, I said that more than two hundred of past studies conducted in many parts of the world over the past decades, none of the studies suggest that there is an effective treatment for the hair loss. From the presentation, everyone was persuaded since I used facts and statistics that there was no treatment for hair loss. Since then, the class has never discussed the issue again as they were convinced with my presentation.
The concept of pathos refers to the emotional appeal to that persuading audience by appealing to their emotions (Aristotle 76). The language choice one can persuade the audience. The language can be either positive like excitement, love or negative like hatred or jealous. Pathos can be used to play with the audience's desire or warn them. My friends like eating burgers and hamburgers for lunch. I wanted to persuade them how frequent eating of burgers can be harmful to their health. I decided to surprise them one lunch as they took their tasty burgers. I brought with me a magazine drawn a big burger with it written that if you eat a burger, it will reduce your thinking. My intention was to warn and persuade them on the negative health effects. Upon seeing what was on the advertisement, they felt convinced on the effects of burger and health effect it had on their health.
Finally, the concept of Kairos relies on of the understanding of a moment called the ‘exigence,' in that something may happen, or fails to occur or happen but compels one to speak out (Herrick 67). In this situation, the speaker is pushed to speak to the audience despite the situation happening or not. For example, in my former school, the board of directors fired one of our best class teachers. Most of the students were angered by the act, but could not take action. However, out of anger, I was pushed to write a letter to the school directors airing out students’ complaints and requesting for our teacher back. Through the letter, it touched the school directors, and our teacher was brought back. Therefore, the use of Kairos may bring a change of the situation from the speaker to the target audience.
Work Cited
Aristotle. The Art Rhetoric (Penguin Classics). New York: Penguin Classics, 1992. Print.
Aristotle. On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse, 2nd Edition. California: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.
Herrick, James A. History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction (5th Edition). Wisconsin: Routledge, 2012.Print.
