11/30/2015
The Rhetorical
Triangle
Ethos
Speaker
Kairos
Pathos
Audience
Message
Logos
“Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of
observing in any given case the
available means of persuasion.”
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC) DWG
Credit: static2.hbr.org
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11/30/2015
Persuasion
When he wasn’t busy
delivering pizzas with
Plato, Aristotle understood
that in order to persuade
a reader or listener, you
must create a text that
appeals to them on many
different levels.
Credit: philosophy-eastanglia.org.uk
Appeals
These persuasive appeals are:
• Logos: the “proof” that demonstrates the “truth” of the
argument.
• Pathos: the “right” frame of mind of the audience.
• Ethos: the “right” appearance of the speaker’s character.
• *Kairos (not traditionally attributed to
Aristotle, but he was groovy with the word).
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Logos = Text
The Appeal to Logic:
• Facts
• Case Studies
• Statistics
• Experiments
• Logical Reasoning
• Analogies
• Anecdotes
• Authority Voices
Logos
In Arguments:
Logos refers to the structure and content
of the text (argument) itself.
If you can persuade the audience with the
logic and structure of your argument,
then you have achieved balance
between objectivity and persuasion.
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11/30/2015
Logos
Logos asks:
“Can you Prove
it…precisely?”
Pathos = Audience
The Appeal to Emotion:
• Beliefs in fairness
• Love
• Compassion
• Greed
• Frustration
• Revenge
• Fear
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Pathos
In Arguments:
Pathos is an appeal to any of an
audience’s sensibilities, an audience’s
state of mind.
A pathos appeal can be highly effective -or a complete disaster. Use cautiously
and handle with care.
Pathos
Pathos asks:
“How does this apply to
me?”
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Ethos = Author
The Appeal to Character:
• Trustworthiness
• Credibility
• Reliability
• Expert Testimony
• Reliable sources/fairness
• Compassionate
• Reasonable
Ethos
In Arguments:
Ethos focuses on the writer or speaker,
presenting him or her as a person worthy of
the reader’s trust. In other words, you are
trying to create an appropriate image of
yourself.
• Credible
• Good-willed
• Knowledgeable
• Trust
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Ethos
Ethos asks:
“Why should I listen to
you?”
Kairos*
Traditionally, Aristotle’s Rhetorical
Triangle was view as the influences of
three elements:
Ethos
Pathos
Logos
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11/30/2015
Kairos*
However, I think the traditional triangle is
clumsy and weak.
Kairos is defined as the
window of opportunity
during which something
could happen.
Kairos*
Kairos is the knowledge of
“when to say what.”
It’s the opportune moment
for action.
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11/30/2015
Kairos*
It refers to the way a given context for
communication both calls for and
constrains one’s speech.
It takes into account:
• The given place and time.
• The specific context of words
appropriate to the moment (best
approach).
• The audience AND culture.
Key Questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What’s special about this moment? How can I tell?
What opportunities for persuasion do I see I this rhetorical
situation?
What would surprise this audience at this time? Why do I think
this?
Are there any special rules or manners the writer(s) or
speaker(s) is/are expected to follow? How do I know?
How frequently does the opportunity to make this kind of
argument come along?
What can the speaker or writer do to create a rhetorical
opportunity?
What could the speaker or writer do on this occasion that he or
she couldn’t do later on?
What happens if the speaker or writer isn’t successful in his or
her attempt to persuade the audience? Can he or she get
another chance? How high are the stakes?
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Draw This…
Ethos
Speaker
Kairos
Audience
Pathos
Message
Logos
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11/30/2015
Best
Examples of
Kairos:
Germany of post-World War I was demoralized
and disorganized. Adolph Hitler's rhetoric was
successful not only because of his personal
charisma and his mastery of delivery, but
because he spoke at the right time: the German
people wanted a way out of its economic
morass and its cultural shame, and Hitler
provided them both with his strong, nationalistic
oratory. Had Germany been doing better
economically, Hitler's words would have
bounced harmlessly off the air.
Credit: 1.bp.blogspot.com
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11/30/2015
August 28, 1963. 250,000 people participate on The March
on Washington for Jobs and Freedom intending to
demonstrate mass support for the civil rights legislation
proposed by President Kennedy in June. Martin Luther King
agreed to keep his speech calm and to avoid provoking civil
disobedience. For most of his speech, he read aloud what he
had prepared; and while it was a good speech, it was not
remarkable.
However, sensing that his audience was waning,
King set his prepared speech aside and began speaking
extemporaneously while he was standing on the steps of the
Lincoln Memorial, speaking in full flight to the crowd. And, it
is this “spontaneous” speech, the “I Have A Dream” speech
that not only solidified his name in history, but rallied the
crowd to an end of racism in the United States.
Credit: uhcfc.org
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