Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric and persuasion

26/02/2025 7 min Episodio 28

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Episode Synopsis

In his work “Rhetoric,” Aristotle (384-322 BC) presents the three principles of effective communication and persuasion. He names them “ethos,” “pathos,” and “logos.” John Vespasian explains that “ethos” refers to the persuasive appeal of the speaker’s own personality. If a speaker possesses credibility, trustworthiness, and charisma, he can influence the audience more easily. By “pathos”, Aristotle meant the appeal to the audience’s emotions. Salespersons and professional speakers know how to make compelling, memorable presentations. Their objective is to evoke emotions in their listeners, so that their decisions and actions go in a certain direction. In contrast, “logos” focuses on cold logic. Aristotle advised speakers to employ arguments based on evidence, rationality, and experience. The more consistent an argument, the stronger its persuasiveness. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/aristotles-theory-of-rhetoric-and-persuasion/