Rhetorical Appeals
Rhetoric refers to the content and structure of our argument. It’s how persuasion works. As rhetors (people engaging in rhetoric) we have a number of tools at our disposal and it becomes vital that we maintain our commitment to the audience. That means we need to find a balance between presenting credible content and image, appealing to emotional experiences, and crafting an argument that makes sense. This week we’ll take a look at those three issues in more depth.
Next Week
Prepare Yourself
How can you appeal to ethos in your speech?
In what ways is it appropriate to appeal to pathos? When does an appeal to pathos cross an ethical line?
What does it look like when a speaker appeals to logos?
How do the three appeals work together in your speech?