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Arthur Atwell TED Talk
In any argument, ethos, logos, and pathos play a significant role in conveying an intended message. Ethos relies on emotional appeal to the audience; for example, a speaker tries to evoke emotions like pity, happiness, anger, worry, and hope to convince the audience of something (Lunsford et al.). Ethos relies on the character on the speaker or writer to pass across the message. For example, if a medical doctor says that people should avoid eating too much red meat as it causes illness, the audience is likely to believe them because of their training and experience in the medical profession. Finally, logos rely on logic and facts as a means of assurance (Lunsford et al.). Such facts can be obtained from statistical data, precedence, and logical conclusions. Pathos, ethos, and logos can be applied in the argument for increased funding of the local library.
In using pathos, I would argue that the local library encourages children and young people on their journey to getting a good education. With more people educated, there is hope for the future. The educated can get jobs, start their businesses, and do many other things that will benefit the entire society. Everyone looks forward to a brighter future, and using hope and inspiration to advocate for more funding is likely to be very useful. People respond to the things that they can relate to; for example, any parent will support the cause because they want a good future for their children.
Ethos relies on the character of the speaker to lend credence to the argument at hand. Being a student myself, I can point to the importance of a local library. Every student needs many books throughout their studies. The problem is that many of these books are quite expensive and most people cannot afford all of them. I am all too familiar with this situation myself. A local library would be hugely beneficial because students can borrow books at a fraction of the cost. People will believe my argument because I am a student who understands the needs of others like me.
Logos also goes a long way to make an argument; to show this, I would quote statistics from a study carried out. For example, a 2005 study showed that students who could access a local library to study and borrow books showed a 30% improvement in their exams. People respond to such hard facts, and they would be willing to increase funding of the local library. In conclusion, pathos, logos, and ethos play an essential role in shaping an argument when they are used appropriately.
Works Cited
Lunsford, Andrea A., John J. Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters. Everything’s an argument: With readings. Bedford/St. Martins, 2013.
