Blog Post 6

The Appeals

Ethos is an appeal to authority. For instance, quoting a qualified individual or citing one's credentials would be employing ethos. (An example would be: “Dr. Jones, president of the New York Medical Society, says that drinking 8 glasses of water a day helps lower stress levels.”)

Logos is an appeal to logic. Using reason to back up an argument is employing logos. (“It is only reasonable to consider the outcome of committing a crime before choosing to do so. First, one must consider the moral obligation as a human to behave in a manner fitting to humankind. Second, one must consider the likely turn of events following the crime, aka people getting hurt, lost trust, etc. And thirdly, one must consider that it usually does not bode well for the future of a criminal. These considerations may deter a potential criminal from committing the crime.”)

Pathos is an appeal to emotion. Appealing to the feelings of the reader employs pathos. (“Just think of the poor, lonely puppy that will never know a family's love or protection...”)

The following advertisement was written to appear in the fictional newspaper, “The Perennial Statement”.

An advertisement:

“Vintage VCR and VHS tapes for sale!

Do not miss this great offer. Remember your childhood each time you watch a movie and experience the familiar clack of the tape settling into place, and the quiet whir of the wheels turning in your VCR. This would be a great purchase, because who doesn't have some VHS's laying around the house to re-watch, and with just a cable and usb, you could even have a side business turning tapes into dvd's. The VHS's that are included with this great offer are the original releases of the Star Wars Trilogy. How better to watch this classic than in the format it was released? You could even see if Han shot first, the clarity of which has been “altered” in the newer updated versions. All in all, it would be a wonderful investment to purchase these items. This VCR has been certified “exemplary” by three specialists in the area of film quality and viewing! The VCR is priced at $42.75, which is a real steal, and the tapes we will let go at $50.00 for the set (they cannot be sold individually). You know you couldn't stand to see the Jones's beat you out for this great deal, or see another valuable piece of our technological history tossed out to the street, so act now!”
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