Variety of Appeals and When to Use Them

An appeal refers to the method, expression and way employed in persuading a person or an audience towards one’s perspective. Appeals can make use of a number of sources such as stories, experiences, events or even by simply providing concrete facts and figures. They can draw and align people with out presented point by either targeting their sentiments, intellect or morality. The variety in how appeals can be delivered helps to cater for different audiences and individuals.

Types of Appeal

There are three kinds of appeal in any persuasive argument logical, emotional and ethical. The details and characteristics of these are stated below:

• Logos: Logos makes use of reasoning, logic and intellectual stimulation to convince and persuade a person or group of people. Logos is the best way to appeal characteristic audiences such as lawyers, litigators and the like, who enjoy communicating their own obtained. perspectives and contrasting them with those of others. An example of logos can be a person who cites a particular research on water pollution, that goes on to statistically prove that the use of plastic is damaging water quality, in order to coerce an audience to opt for reusable cups and bottles instead of regular plastic ones. Logical appeal ensures validity of any claim, personal experiences can also fall in the dimension of logos however, the particular evidence must be concrete, reality-based and relevant.

• Pathos: Pathos draws from sentimental ties and persuasions. The aim here is to capture appropriately the emotions of a person or an audience to get them to agree with your presented perspective. In its worst form, pathos can be used to mislead people, exploiting the emotional nature that all human beings sport. But if used correctly, it can help move people towards an inspirational and/or just cause. A very common everyday use of pathos can be seen in advertisement campaigns, like insurance commercials that demand people to secure the future of their children and family. Personal experiences are possibly the best use and exhibition of pathos, these encourage people to relate with the subject and develop empathy for them.

• Ethos: Ethos refers to ethical appeal that tugs on the moral fiber of the addressed individual or audience. The focus here lies in establishing whether a practice, act or behavior is fair, just, in accordance with sincerity and honestly, or breaches all of these moral essentialities. Effective use of ethos establishes the credibility of the speaker in the eyes of those that he is attempting to persuade, it is powerful but incorrect delivery can cause damage. Ethos is also very strongly based on the repute that the speaker has, for example a person widely perceived as very learned and educated will convince many people when he or she talks about flaws in a certain method of teaching. The use of claimed professionals in the selling of a product, like a dentist advising the use of a particular toothpaste is a common but compelling form of ethos.  

The variety in how appeals can be delivered helps to cater for different audiences and individuals. Depending on the situation and your needs, you need to use one of three types of appel (logos, pathos, ethos) to achieve the best result.