Persuasion

Getting people to agree with you

Part II: Types of Arguments

Audience

Subject

Text

CONTEXT

Writer

ETHOS:Character

of the writer

PATHOS:Emotions of the audience

LOGOS:Facts about the subject/situation

Ethos: character of the writer

•Should not be a major issue in this kind of paper

•Establish your credibility by showing that you know your material:• Use appropriate (scholarly) sources• Use appropriate language/conventions• Draw reasonable conclusions• Avoid name-calling and other unseemly tactics• Avoid too many emotional appeals

Logos: facts about the subject/situation

•Should be the major strategy for academic papers

•Present the facts and connect the dots

•Use lots of evidence, and from different sources

•Use logic, not emotion, to refute opposing arguments• Avoid “straw men” and other fallacies• Show how opposing arguments aren’t logical OR

aren’t practical OR aren’t as good as your arguments

Pathos: emotions of the audience

•Use only sparingly in academic papers

•Appeal to values such as honesty, integrity, & fairness

•Generally most effective for closing arguments

Intro: Announce the topic and the issues; state common ground.

Argue against your position.

Argue for your position.

Remind the reader of your common ground, and show how your position offers the better path to that ground.

Establish your credibility with clear, concise, dispassionate explanations.

Make the case for the other side, then use “but” to show potential problems with those arguments.

Offer alternative arguments, showing how they are preferable to, or at least less undesirable than, the initial ideas.

Here’s where you can use a little pathos, if necessary, to “close the deal.”

ETHOS

LOGOS

LOGOS

PATHOS

Questions?