Classic Principal of Argument
Classical Principle of Argument - "What the Waters Revealed"
DeAnna Alexander
ENG/215
November 26, 2012
Lois Theisen
Classical Principle of Argument - "What the Waters Revealed"
Every writer wants to reach their audience and persuade them to his or her point of view. They want to show and maintain authority in an argument, whether in writing or face-to-face. To accomplish that goal, a writer should imply the three classical principles of argument; ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos occurs when an author gains respect based on his or her character. Authors use ethos to convince their audience based on his or her character. Authors using pathos in an argument, it persuades the audience through emotions. Logos supports the argument by reasoning (Lamm & Everett, 2007) (Dlugan, 2010). An author uses logos to persuade his or her audience by using reasoning what is effective. The logics and reasoning in an essay forms effectiveness based on information gathered from other sources (Dlugan, 2010). In the essay, “What the Water Revealed” written by Jim Wallis, uses his persuasiveness by, including all three appeals of the classical principles of argument. Willis implies the use of ethos, pathos, and logos to convey a convincing argument as it relates to the realities on poverty and race in America and today’s society. The essay reveals Jim Willis’ ethos argument when his background as a veteran of the civil rights antiwar movements of the 1960s displays authority (Lamm & Everett, 2007). He makes several points by using his knowledge as a civil rights supporter. He exposes his character and gains respect by expressing the importance of poverty in the United States. With his informational approach to the topic, Willis makes the audience believe that he knows what he is writing about. When he states, “The poor have been near the bottom of our priority list, if they are on the list at all. It will take a moral and even religious imperative to change our
DeAnna Alexander
ENG/215
November 26, 2012
Lois Theisen
Classical Principle of Argument - "What the Waters Revealed"
Every writer wants to reach their audience and persuade them to his or her point of view. They want to show and maintain authority in an argument, whether in writing or face-to-face. To accomplish that goal, a writer should imply the three classical principles of argument; ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos occurs when an author gains respect based on his or her character. Authors use ethos to convince their audience based on his or her character. Authors using pathos in an argument, it persuades the audience through emotions. Logos supports the argument by reasoning (Lamm & Everett, 2007) (Dlugan, 2010). An author uses logos to persuade his or her audience by using reasoning what is effective. The logics and reasoning in an essay forms effectiveness based on information gathered from other sources (Dlugan, 2010). In the essay, “What the Water Revealed” written by Jim Wallis, uses his persuasiveness by, including all three appeals of the classical principles of argument. Willis implies the use of ethos, pathos, and logos to convey a convincing argument as it relates to the realities on poverty and race in America and today’s society. The essay reveals Jim Willis’ ethos argument when his background as a veteran of the civil rights antiwar movements of the 1960s displays authority (Lamm & Everett, 2007). He makes several points by using his knowledge as a civil rights supporter. He exposes his character and gains respect by expressing the importance of poverty in the United States. With his informational approach to the topic, Willis makes the audience believe that he knows what he is writing about. When he states, “The poor have been near the bottom of our priority list, if they are on the list at all. It will take a moral and even religious imperative to change our
References: Dlugan, A. (2010, January 24). Ethos, Pathos, Logos; 3 Pillars of Public Speaking. Six Minutes. Retrieved from http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/ethos-pathos-logos Lamm, R., & Everett, J. (2007). Dynamic argument. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.