6 Pathos (Emotions, Values)
Andrew Gurevich
The Art and Science of Emotional Arguments (Pathos)
Pathos is a quality of an experience in life, or a work of art, that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy, and sorrow. Pathos can be expressed through words, pictures, or even with gestures of the body. Pathos is an important tool of persuasion in arguments because it is a method of convincing people with an argument drawn out through an emotional response. Analyzing examples of pathos, one would come to the conclusion that it differs from the other rhetorical appeals of persuasion, namely ethos and logos, in several significant ways. Ethos means convincing others through the credibility of a persuader or of the argument itself, while logos is a method to convince others by employing reliable, sufficient logic and reason. But only pathos is employed to specifically trigger the emotional states of the readers and listeners and thus, is an incredibly powerful, but also incredibly manipulative, method of appeal.
Using Pathos also requires us to quantify subjective, emotional, and values-based assumptions in our quest to understand and evaluate academic arguments. The use of Pathos is called a “pathetic appeal.” Note that this is very different from our usual understanding of the word “pathetic.” “Pathos” is used to describe the rhetor’s attempt to appeal to an audience’s sense of identity, their self-interest, and their emotions. But Pathos most often refers to an attempt to engage an audience’s emotions. Think about the different emotions people are capable of feeling: they include love, pity, sorrow, affection, anger, fear, greed, lust, and hatred. If a rhetor tries to make an audience feel emotions in response to what is being said or written, then they are using pathos. Like the other rhetorical appeals, it can be used in both appropriate and manipulative ways in arguments.
Common Examples of Pathos
For a better understanding of the subject, let us examine a few pathos examples from daily conversations:
- “The terrorists want to kill our children.” – This statement evokes emotions of fear and anger. Whether or not there is any truth to it, the statement seeks to motivate the audience primarily through fear.
- The “Made in America” label on various products sold in America tries to enhance sales by appealing to customers’ sense of patriotism.
- Ads encouraging charitable donations show small children living in pathetic conditions, to evoke pity in people.
- Referring to a country as “the motherland” stirs up patriotic feelings in individuals living in that country or state.
- A soft, instrumental symphony may arouse people emotionally during funerals, graduations, or other sentimental rituals or events.
Resources for Studying and Using Pathos in Arguments
- View the Vidcast: Purdue OWL-Introduction to Pathos
- View the video: What is Pathos?
- View the video: Pathos – The Most Emotional Rhetorical Appeal
Using Pathos Correctly
Whether we are making arg