Pathos
Pathos, along with logos (logical appeals), and ethos (ethical appeals), is one of the three major rhetorical strategies outlined by the philosopher Aristotle. Essentially, pathos involves the use of emotion within an argument. It can include making an audience laugh, using empathy to make a topic relatable, or inciting anger or passion about a subject. Commercials that show images of starving children when asking for donations as well as ads for sports drinks that tell inspiring stories of successful athletes who use their products both use pathos to make us feel something.
When crafting an argument, using pathos to engage audiences emotionally is a powerful tool. In cases where the audience is uninterested in the topic, pathos can make the situation more “real.” According to Crowley and Hawhee, “The most effective emotional appeals actually make an issue come alive for audiences and make them see vividly what is at stake in the issue.” (Crowley and Hawhee 184) By showing audiences “what is at stake,” it makes the issue more serious and difficult to be indifferent to. An audience that is emotionally invested is more apt to care about the topic and, more importantly, is willing to change something, even if it’s only their minds.
When crafting an argument, using pathos to engage audiences emotionally is a powerful tool. In cases where the audience is uninterested in the topic, pathos can make the situation more “real.” According to Crowley and Hawhee, “The most effective emotional appeals actually make an issue come alive for audiences and make them see vividly what is at stake in the issue.” (Crowley and Hawhee 184) By showing audiences “what is at stake,” it makes the issue more serious and difficult to be indifferent to. An audience that is emotionally invested is more apt to care about the topic and, more importantly, is willing to change something, even if it’s only their minds.