Logos: Encyclopedia II - Logos - Use in rhetoric

Logos - Use in rhetoric

In rhetoric, logos is one of the three modes of persuasion (the other two are pathos, emotional appeal, and ethos, the qualification of the speaker). Logos refers to logical appeal, and in fact the term logic evolves from it. Logos normally implies numbers, polls, and other mathematical or scientific data.

Logos has many advantages:

• Data is hard to manipulate, meaning that it is harder to argue against a logos argument.
• For the same reason, it may sway cynical listeners to the speaker's opinion.
• Logos enhances ethos by making the speaker look prepared and knowledgeable to the audience.

Logos also has many disadvantages:

• Numbers may not be obvious to many listeners, so the argument may pass unheeded.
• Logos asks the question, "But why should I care?" because they are not as involving as emotional appeal.
• Logos can be downright confusing in some instances.

The best way to present an argument is to combine logos with the other forms of appeal.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Use in rhetoric", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki