Rhetoric Three-Way Street: Ethos

Ethos

Ethos - a rhetorical appeal in which the speaker demonstrates why he or she is a trustworthy spokesperson in a particular field of study. It is largely based on the credibility and the reputation of the speaker as determined by his or her expertise, knowledge, and experience in a certain profession. Ethos helps to build a bridge between the speaker and his or her audience by linking them through their shared values on specific topics. In using this appeal, a speaker essentially gives his or her audience a reason to listen to what he or she has to say.

Visual Example

http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/awareness/

This webpage from the American Lung Association (ALA) makes an effective use of visual ethos in establishing the credibility of the organization as a trustworthy institution. As the leading organization in the world working to build awareness and fight against lung cancer, ALA has existed and remained a dynamic force in the efforts against lung cancer for over 100 years, which it advertises in its page. The organization’s webpage contains various links through which users can educate themselves about lung cancer from articles and resources written by trusted experts in the field. Users can also refer to the website to contact real experts or to learn more about the types of outreach programs that ALA has designed to fight lung cancer. This webpage is effective because it is a reliable source of information on the topic of lung cancer. ALA is a legitimate institution whose century’s-worth of hard work and experience makes it reputable. Through this webpage, ALA succeeds in earning the trust of its audience as a credible organization, thereby giving the public a reason to turn to its webpage and, in larger terms, to the organization itself for information.

Textual Example No. 1

On “How to Improve Our Schools” by Diane Ravitch

Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Chapter 6: Community." The

Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Second ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 257-58. Print.

In the excerpt How to Improve Our Schools of her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education, former Assistant Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, argues for the improvement of the public education system in the United States.  In making her statement, she delineates the various components that are involved in this restructure and challenges the national testing regime and its demolition of public education in the United States. She employs the use of the personal pronouns “we,” “us,” and “our” to create inclusive atmosphere that expresses the need for a cumulative effort in improving education in America. In doing so, she personalizes this excerpt of her novel, forging a tie between herself and the American members of her audience, emphasizing their shared values of creating well-rounded citizens through a good education system. Above all, however, Ravitch’s successful appeal to ethos is rooted in her reputation. As a former Assistant Secretary of Education and a current professor of education at New York University, this woman is an expert in the field of education and is, without a doubt, a credible speaker on the topic. Her professional achievements reflect her experience in education and incline her audience to take into consideration what she has to say. She is an authoritative figure in this line of research due to her expertise and secures the trust of her audience because of it.

Textual Example No. 2

The Evolutionary Social Psychology of Off-Record Indirect Speech Acts

Shea, Renée Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. "Chapter 6: Community." The

Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. Second ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 150-51. Print.

In his scholarly article The Evolutionary Social Psychology of Off-Record Indirect Speech Acts, Steven Pinker – a cognitive scientist and linguist – explores the concepts of indirect speech and politeness. He establishes strong ethos in two fundamental ways. Firstly, in stating his argument about positive and negative politeness, he cites the scholarly works of other cognitive scientists who have conducted research in his line of study. As opposed to summarizing the information he has gathered, however, he incorporates certain aspects of the research into his article so as to emphasize the key points of the breakthrough argument he is trying to make. In doing this, Pinker establishes a firm foundation for the credibility of his article as his extensive research demonstrates his in-depth investigation of various sides of the topic he is exploring. Secondly, Pinker, in and of himself, is a credible spokesperson as he is a legitimate cognitive scientist and an expert in the study of linguistics. His profession buttresses his credibility as it gives his audience a reason to listen to what he has to say. As a professional, he already stands on firm ground to investigate topics about indirect speech and then express his opinion on them. His reputation combined with his employment of other authoritative sources makes for an almost undeniable use of ethos.