Ethos, pathos, and logos are the three strategies identified by Aristotle as means to support argument. In her essay, Logos is Synonymous with Logic, Nancy Fox states “However, an often simplistic, formulaic, and transactional use of these complex terms detaches them from their potential meaning.” (Fox 174). Ethos, pathos, and logos are all great for making arguments, but there must be connecting language for the argument to not seem too simple. If the writer does not use ethos, pathos, and logos in right ways there will be misunderstanding between the writer and the reader. Moreover, if ethos, pathos, and logos are not used the correct way then the reader will not be convinced. Such highly complicated terms are frequently used in a simplistic, formulaic, and informational manner, which detaches them from their intended purpose.
The goal of most educative writing is to be demonstrative. A successful essay can make readers change their minds, look at the problem differently, or come with new solutions. However, readers can be difficult to persuade! Over 2,300 years ago, Aristotle declared three different strategies called rhetorical appeals, which writers and speakers used to make their argument more convincing. Rhetorical appeal strategies are helpful for writers and speakers.
Logos is one of the strategies that can help writers.
One of Aristotle’s most important contributions was that he introduced rhetoric as one of the three main elements – along with logic and dialectics – of philosophy. In the first line of Rhetoric, “Rhetoric is the counterpart of Dialectic” (https://www.researchgate.net) Aristotle argues that logic is involved in reasoning for scientific certainty. Reasoning and rhetoric are related branches of philosophy.
In her essay, Fox states, “Audiences and particular rhetorical situations may require logical reasoning and even syllogisms, but situations are rarely completely encompassed within one form of reasoning or arguing.”( Fox 174) This means that if someone can use a combination of the three rhetorical elements in their persuasive speaking and writing, they will appeal to their audience’s emotion and sense of reasoning, and therefore their writing will be more convincing. It can be tricky to try to weave logos into their persuasive writing and speaking. For example, there are two types of appeals directed at the rational side of the reader using facts and logical explanation: Logos and Ethos. The first type is to appeal to logic, by making sure the facts are relevant and well documented, the second type increases the writer’s credibility.
Logos is an appeal to logic, persuading an audience with reason, using facts and figures.
“Logos is used when citing facts, in addition to statistical, literal, and historical analogies. It is something through which inner thoughts are presented logically, to persuade the audience.” (https://literarydevices.net). Logos is often used in historical analogies and citing important information. This information is often used to persuade a specific audience. However, according to Nancy Fox, it is a bad idea to rely too heavily on logos, even for educational writing: “Writers are not constrained by formal and limiting systems like logic, which are highly useful for some circumstances, but irrelevant or even inappropriate to others, including the kinds of writing situations in which students often find themselves. Students are often challenged to understand and make arguments about political, social, artistic, policy, or cultural topics that cannot be demonstrated or logically proven.” (Fox 175) Furthermore, Fox also points to Aristotle’s idea that logos is not only logic but defined most simply as the “argument itself.” Fox argues that “through careless practice, mistranslation, or misconceptions of the word’s origins, logos is often defined simply as logic.” (Fox 175).
Conclusion
The aim of logos is to convince readers or listeners by leading them down the path of logic and causing them to reach the author’s logical conclusions. Logos was Aristotle’s preferred method of argumentation, however a bad idea for the modern writer is to rely only on this appeal or to define Logos as simply logic. It is a better idea to expand our rhetorical stance to include Ethos, Pathos, and a well-rounded approach to Logos.
Work Cite
Nancy, Fox. “LOGOS IS SYNONYMOUS WITH LOGIC”
BAID IDEAS ABOUT WRITING. Edited by Cheryl E. Ball & Drew M. Loewe, 2017. pp. 174-177.