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"ethos"
Definition: Persuasive appeal (one of the three artistic proofs) based on the character or the projected character of the speaker or writer. According to Aristotle, the chief components of a compelling ethos are good will, practical wisdom, and virtue.
invented ethos: proofs from character that are invented by a rhetor or are available by virtue of the rhetor's position on an issue.
situated ethos: proof from character that depends on a rhetor's reputation in the relevant community.
Etymology:
From the Greek, "character"
Examples and Observations:
- "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV."
(1960s television commercial for Excedrin)
- "If, in my low moments, in word, deed or attitude, through some error of temper, taste, or tone, I have caused anyone discomfort, created pain, or revived someone's fears, that was not my truest self. If there were occasions when my grape turned into a raisin and my joy bell lost its resonance, please forgive me. Charge it to my head and not to my heart. My head--so limited in its finitude; my heart, which is boundless in its love for the human family. I am not a perfect servant. I am a public servant doing my best against the odds. As I develop and serve, be patient: God is not finished with me yet.
"This campaign has taught me much; that leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving."
(Jesse Jackson, from his 1984 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address)
- "I hear the voices, and I read the front page, and I know the speculation. But I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense."
(George W. Bush, April 2006)
 Pronunciation: EE-thos |
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