Analysis on Certain Speech of Aristotle’s Ethos, Pathos
and Logos
1009班叶鹏2010103010901
Whether a person is writing a letter or giving a speech, the goal of any argument is to persuade. The philosopher Aristotle created a way for an individual to persuade or convince his intended audience that his thoughts and ideas are valid and believable. The means of persuasion——or appeals, as Aristotle called it——is divided into three areas: logos, ethos and pathos. One of the finest examples of these three appeals in play is in the essay titled Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Ethos is a Greek word that means ‘character’ and refers to the trustworthiness or credibility of the author. So this first type of appeal deals with you as the writer of the essay. Let's review how Dr. King utilized ethos in his letter.
We find the first appeal using ethos in the salutation of the letter, which reads ‘My Dear Fellow Clergymen.’ Here we see Dr. King letting the reader understand him in his role of rel igious leader. This tends to be a position in which the person is seen as overall moral, trustworthy, honest and credible. The overall point is that Dr. King was using the ethos appeal in reminding the reader about his role as a religious leader, rather than another role that would have been equally valid. Another important thing to note is this letter was written during a time of racial turmoil, and the response was to religious leaders that were white. So Dr. King calling them 'fellow clergymen' was also using an ethos appeal of being an equal in status and stature. This was particularly important because Dr. King was in jail at the time in which the letter was written.
Logos is a Greek term meaning 'word' and refers to using logic and reasoning as your appeal. Logos are the words we use, the clarity of the message itself, the credible arguments used and the supporting evidence on which our arguments are built. Returning to our Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Dr. King uses logos as an appeal throughout his letter. Here is an excerpt that show his use of logos:
‘In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action.’
Here we see Dr. King providing a logical step analysis of any social activist campaign, not just one confined to the civil rights arena.
Pathos is a Greek word meaning 'suffering' or 'experience,' and it appeals to the reader's emotions, utilizing story, sensory-based details and vivid language. Pathos appeals bring human experience into the argument. While logos may touch the mind, pathos touches the heart. Again,
we return to our Letter from a Birmingham Jail to find the use of pathos. ‘… When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky …’
It's hard to not be touched by the words penned by Dr. King in this paragraph. Who can find an argument to combat a father looking into the eyes of his daughter and explaining injustice? Pathos takes readers from the page and transports them to the experience. It makes the words real and makes them come to life. Not all pathos appeals need to be as dramatic, as potent, as shocking as the ones penned by Dr. King. Even telling a humorous story can have readers shaking their head in agreement and reminding themselves of their human side and experiences.
While each appeal is valid in its own right and can be used individually, being able to utilize all three appeals appropriately within an essay can provide a very powerful and memorable experience for the reader.
References:
①Aristotle.修辞学，罗念生，上海人民出版社，2006年。

②Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail，人民教育出版社，2000年。