«Aristotle's 3 Parts of Rhetoric and Types of Debates. Great Tools for Public Relations»

Guy Bergstrom (@speechwriterguy), The Balance Small Business (@thebalance)

«Aristotle Organizes the Art

»Aristotle first organized the art of rhetoric into three separate and definite parts or proofs. These parts were the ethos, the pathos, and the logos. He first began to develop his view of rhetoric while he was in Athens and completed his formation at his school, the Lyceum.

»Ethos is how your character as a speaker or writer affects the audience. For example, you will be more effective persuading your audience to switch to reusable shopping bags and reduce or eliminate their use of plastic bags if you can establish your expertise on the topic. If you are a biologist who studies the impact of discarded plastic on wildlife, this will help establish credibility with the audience. You also can relate on an everyday level by sharing your own examples of how switching to reusable bags has impacted your shopping habits.

»Pathos is how emotion plays a role in speech and arguments. Following the same example, you might begin your speech by showing your audience the impact of discarded plastic bags in the wild. Images and descriptions of large animals suffering after consuming the bags or smaller animals becoming caught or tangled in them can impact your audience and perhaps inspire them to change their habits.

»Logos is how you structure an argument and the use of logic. Consider the order in which you introduce the information in the examples above. First, show your audience why you are an expert on the topic. Then, appeal to their emotions and convince them there is a problem. Finally, show them there is a practical solution and how they can be a part of it.»

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