Monday, January 19 2008 (Tomorrow is Inaguration Day!)
January 10, 2009
Today’s Agenda:
1) Journal (10 min)
a. Today we had to write a response to the following prompt:
Clearly identify and describe in detail a pathos-based argument that you have encountered recently. What was the argument? How was the argument designed to appeal to your emotions? Did this appeal work? If so, why? If not, why not?
b. For the next minutes, I want you to write a journal response to the following question:
Now that you have identified a pathos-based argument in your own life, I want you to identify and describe other kinds of pathos-based arguments you MIGHT or COULD encounter on a day-to-day basis. What is it about these arguments that would qualify them as being pathos-based? Explain in SIGNIFICANT DETAIL.
2) Group Discussion of writing. (5-7)
3) Class Discussion of Pathos based arguments. (5-7)
4) A. Now get out your précis. I want you to take a moment to review it and to underline those comments that you think are the most important in the document.
a. When you are done, I want you to organize yourselves into group of four. Look at our work, and edit it to make sure it is following the specifications. If it is NOT, you need to let the author know where the problems are. (I am going to include the outline for the precis at the bottom of this page, before the homework assignment)
5) Discussion of MLA format in Precis, and other issues. You must find an MLA recourse, and find how to cite a works cited citation for a work in an anthology.
6) Let’s look at our documents and come up with a plan for revision for next time – when I will collect them for a grade.
The Précis (Pray-SEE)
There are three simple parts to a Précis.
The point of a précis is to lay out an argument for an audience who needs to know about the argument without reading the entire ten, twelve or twenty page document. We have to inform the audience on the argument without “dumbing it down” or oversimplifying it!
To write a précis, you will need to incorporate direct quotations from an article to express those points that are better articulated by the author than you yourself could articulate them. You will sometimes need to use words in quotes to emphasize the author’s original tone. It is hugely important to show an author’s bias without commenting on it and editorializing, without using “I” anywhere in this piece.
You will need to paraphrase quite a bit in this document, and can expect to use phrases like “according to….” or “X claims” every couple of lines. The point here is to report on the author’s thoughts and comments, and to leave your own opinions at the door (there will be time enough for voicing your opinions in the future).
The three parts of the précis: Situation, Issue, Thesis
*Each section should be titled as such. This is okay in a précis.
Situation
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The very beginning of your précis.
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It should lay out what the audience needs to know about the author, the full title (including subtitle), and whatever publication info you have in MLA style (except for the author’s name which should be done first name first).
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Next, you need to establish the basic context for the writing: who is writing it (what do we know about the author and or his or her position, profession etc), to whom are they addressing the piece (audience), when was it written, and whether there is any particular EVENT that has driven this response. Some arguments may have this, some may not. You can expect to take the better part of a paragraph to convey this information.
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SITUATE the writing for an audience who WILL NOT READ THE FULL ARTICLE. What general information do they need to know about it?
Section II
Issue
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The author may use technical jargon or academic lingo in the argument. You need to begin your ISSUE section by defining these terms for the reader. Clarify for the ready any terms or phrases you think may cause him or her difficulty.
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Lay out the basic questions that the author addresses (NOT the answers).
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END WITH THE MAJOR ISSUE QUESTION. The major issue question is the question the author attempts to answer with his or her thesis.
Section III
Thesis
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Thesis section. This is where the THESIS appears (the answer to the major issue question.)
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It is also where the other claims and evidence for those claims (as well as the major claim) will appear.
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This is the lion’s share of the précis.
7) Homework: Correct your Precis and read Chapter Three: Arguments Based on Character – Ethos. (61-76)
i. Clearly identify and describe in detail an ethos-based argument that you have encountered recently. What was the argument? How was the argument designed to appeal to an understanding of character? Did this appeal work? If so, why? If not, why not? (1.5 for credit, anything less – no credit)
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Kevin H
1/20/09
R&C II
“Ethos” Arguments
In many different ways people us are using “ethos” based arguments in some way whether it’s about political campaigns, or even to what brand of tool to buy over another. No matter what the subject, there is always an audience that asks questions about the writer or speaker. These questions usually focus on whether or not they have the authority on the subject, credibility, or even their motives. That is why they call these arguments “ethos,” because it focuses on the writers or speakers character on the subject in which they are elaborating. One of the most common “ethos” based arguments in my household are about whether or not history will repeat itself. By repeat itself I mean on the economic level, whether or not we will go into another depression if we keep going the way that we are right now. In my family everyone voices their opinion on the subject, but the person that we most listen to is my brother due to his authority, credibility, and motives of the way he approaches arguing the economic crisis that we are currently going through.
When my brother states his argument on the subject he puts into our prospective that he has been studying in college about the history of this nation, and has a master’s degree in history. Then he goes into saying things like, all of the patterns that we see that happened back in the 1930’s are happening again making us fall into economic crisis. When the American dollar loses its value and really is not even worth a dollar anymore what does this mean? He would always give us questions that we really did not know how to answer, but in turn made us think that why would he ask such a question? Now that he has established his authority with us, he tries to sustain his credibility on the subject by giving us a seemingly simple question and backing it up with information that he was at one point gone over in his career. My brother had read on more than one occasion in his years of studies; that when the value of the America dollar is depreciated substantially it is showing us a very bold sign that the country is in crisis. If we keep going in the direction we will enviably be in another great depression. He then goes on to the subject about how he does not know all of the true problems that are summed up for an economic crisis, but knows enough about the situation to know that we are currently heading into one. This situation also appeals to his credibility about his limitations as well as strengths. After hearing all of the things that come with and economic crisis he states that at some point our country won’t be able rescue itself from a stock market crash bringing on a depression. He then goes on to say that the most we can do right now is not spend money on crazy and outlandish materialism, but to conserve our money so that if a depression does happen families with savings will not be totally poor. This also appeals to my brothers motives us telling us about what he knows about economic crisis.
This argument about the economic crisis is defiantly based off “ethos” arguments, because we get to know my brothers authority on the subject, his credibility, and his motives of telling us what might happen. All of the previous categories give way to the character of the speaker or writer; making us feel better about the argument when the person has a more engrained sense of “ethos” in their writing and speaking. These arguments make us see the writer or speaker as a person to go to for guidance on a specific subject on where you know the person has a character that you can appreciate well planned and thought out arguments.
An ethos based argument is that which calls into regard the credibility and character of a person who is giving their opinion on any particular subject. As humans we should be calling into question the information that is put in front of our faces to make sure that it is true, credible fact, or whether we should be throwing that piece of information out of our minds. However, sometimes these ethos-based arguments are more important than others. For instance, recently I have been diagnosing a problem with my vehicle to try and solve the issue of why it wouldn’t start. After getting a basic understanding of the problem that was occurring I went online to get some opinions from a few other people on a forum on the subject.
The first problem encountered here was finding which forum looked to be the closest related to the problem I was looking to solve. Just typing in a few words on a search engine on the internet, yields millions of pieces of information with a few useful things mixed within a vast pit of rubbish. After finding a couple options which appeared to be in the correct realm of interest, I narrowed it down to one by looking through the sites and seeing what background information was to be found. I realized that one of the forums was specific to my exact make and model vehicle and started with that. This worked out because the site was filled with users who owned the same vehicle as me, or at least was familiar with the manufacturer of the car.
The second ethos based problem this brought forth was trying to find which person answering the forum was the most credible person to listen too. This was needed in order to trust that the ideas that I was gaining were going to help me solve the problem rather than make a larger one. The major problem with the situation was everyone had an opinion to give, and I could tell immediately that the majority of them weren’t what I needed. However, I was able to find a couple people to trust because by talking with them I found that they were also professionally trained mechanics, one of which with more experience than me. As a graduate of an automotive program, I was able to discern which of these forum users knew what they were talking about by there language, and understanding of my original diagnosis. These two people stood out from the others because of their schooling which showed they had training, but also because they were able to maintain a technical conversation on the issue with myself. If I had listened to some random forum user I would have end up spending a thousand dollars and still had a problem because of an incorrect solution. By being able to work through this problem by the use of ethos based argumentation, I was able to find a correct answer for my question, and solve the problem with my vehicle.
01/20/09
“ethos”
If you are in the middle of an argument the best way to pick a side is to know the character of the person you are siding with and there credibility on the subject or topic that a group is arguing about. If you are trying to pick sides in an argument between a golf instructor and a cowboy about the best way to raise and groom cattle the know brainier side to pick is the cowboy because that is the cowboys field of expertise. The way to make a decision on who to side with is take the integrity and knowledge into account and not doubt an expert of a certain field.
An argument that I had encountered lately was one between a sophomore on my old high school football team and my old high school football coach. The argument was on how to coach a football team. The kid was telling my old coach how to coach and what he should change and why he should change it to make it better for everyone on the team and for the school. The kid has been playing football for six year and he was trying to tell the coach how to do things. The coach has been coaching for a long time and playing for a lot longer than that. The kid from the team was questioning the coaches integrity and his knowledge about how things are run and the game itself. When you have an argument like that you have to take the side of a man that has won three state championships as a player and has won three as a head coach of the best high school football team in the state of Maine. If my old coach was arguing with John Madden then he would obviously be wrong because of the stats and titles John Madden has.
Then you argue with someone on something you have to take your and there character into play. The knowledge that one person has as an expert has to be taken more serious then a person that has no incite or knowledge in that particular field.
KW
Amanda P.
January 20, 2009
Homework # 3
Ethos based arguments
Arguments based on character also known as an ethos based argument usually have ethical appeal and often are based on moral beliefs. When you use ethos you want to sound creditable and know what you are talking about. You also want to perceive yourself as someone that is likable and worthy of peoples respect. “Audiences clearly pay attention to ethos. Before we’ll listen to others, we usually must respect their authorizing, admire their integrity and motives, or at least acknowledge what they stand for,” (61). When life is complicated which is a lot of the time we look for other people to help us out, maybe other people have had the same problem and they will have creditable advice. There are many people that could give you advice, from the professionals like your doctor, lawyer, teacher, pastor or just a really close friend, relative or coach. These are all people that you would look to for advice about something because you trust them, their character is knowledgeable. Every day I go to class to learn and then go home and do homework at night to further my learning or recap what I have learned in class. Getting good grades is one of my morals and I believe in getting good grades a lot. I have been getting good grades all my life. I have never gotten below a B. I think that doing good in my education will help me get to where I want to be. Success= doing well in school. Education is the foundation of the future. If you don’t do good and you just do what will get you by in school then the habits you picked up will be shown in your life style as well. Getting good grades helps you out in the long run. Colleges look at your grades in high school to determine a lot of things; if you get accepted or declined from that specific school, they depend on how much money you will get for free to go to school. Getting good grades in high school pays off in the long run because if you do well in school; they will give you scholarships to go. A scholarship means more money that you don’t have to pay for your education. Getting good grades in college also will pay off in the long run. When it is time to get a job out in the work field with all these other people that have degrees of the same kind as you then they will look at your resume and determine who is better for the job. If your resume is better than that other person that you are competing with then hopefully you got that job into the bag. Many people might want to argue with this statement that I am making because they have done fine and will do fine with just getting by with ok grades. I strongly feel that if you don’t give it your best then you will not get the best in return. I am not saying that if you do badly in school then you will not get a job because most people do but if you are competing with other people for that same job then businesses will probably take the recipient that has better grades. This argument would appeal to many people that have a higher education such as lawyers, doctors, and teachers. The people that take pride for what they have done or what they are doing now. Also this appeals to my parents because getting good grades to them means that they have done their job and have proctored me into being ready for anything. People who have high grades will open more doors of opportunity which leads to a happier life and more money.
Ethos based arguments are key for trying to figure out someone’s credibility. When you listen to anyone at anytime you are wondering where they are getting that information, or what gives them the right to talk like they know it all. After reading this section I realized that it was very important to explain yourself or to have known previous experience in the situation you are arguing to be taken seriously. There are many ways to earn credibility in an argument. One is to state how you know what it is and what is not in the topic you are discussion. Maybe you have studied this for many years, or have lived in the culture you are arguing about. Another way is to treat your audience with respect, almost like sucking up to them. If your audience find you to be trust worthy or feel connected through whatever reason they will respect you. The final thing is to being truthful about what you are trying to do. Some people like myself constantly feel like if this person is trying to get me to do this what are they getting out of it. When the audience knows what the end result will be they may or may not be likely to side with u.
I find myself in certain types of Ethos based argument all the time. When I read or listen to someone’s advice or input any different situations I constantly find myself wondering how? Or why? Can that person comment on that they don’t have the right to do so. I find myself not wanting to give out my respect or the privilege of backing up someone’s argument because I usually don’t want to agree. So when someone does win me over I believe they do something write in their own Ethos argument. These are not necessarily arguments, they are ways the speaker or marketing campaigns get to me.
A particular Ethos argument that I can never quite deal with is politics. Especially right now with the new presidential elect Barak Obama who I am not a big fan for. Being a conservative republican I have found myself just needing to be quite lately. I have one friend who will always come up to me and start talking politics because he knows the Democratic Party is on the winning side right now. Due to the entrance into the house. He will say how about Obama? And I will say how about Hillary because that’s who he was all about till she wasn’t good enough anymore. I don’t know enough about the views of both of the presidential elects to sit there and argue all the facts. But I do know as noted on the beginning of this lesson that a character should play a big part in determining our future. I also know that no one is more American then the man the Republican Party chose to represent. John McCain was trapped behind enemy lines and was tortured daily. He had enough pride for his Father, The United States Navy, and most importantly, The United States of America to be tortured everyday having bones broken instead of saying something bad about the U.S on camera. I don’t know about you but that’s someone I can look up to. Now we need to look up to and respect or president and hope for the best for our country.
Journal entry for Jan 19th
A common pathos based argument that I have encountered is being asked to donate to charities. During the holidays it was common to see someone from the salvation army outside the mall or Wal-Mart ringing a bell, with a bucket to put money in. During that time there were TV advertisements airing on a few channels showing people in need and struggling during disasters, and a person in the scene ringing a bell. I remember specifically the ad showed people in a flood, on top of their car, and there was a man on the side ringing the bell. The advertisement was designed to get people to feel emotion when they heard or saw the man outside ringing a bell. The it was to make them think back to the TV ad that they saw of people struggling and in need of help. The advertisements were created so that people felt that if they put money in the bucket they were helping people that really needed it. The salvation army argument is pathos based because it uses people’s emotions to try and get support and donations. Another common charity that I have been asked to donate to is the Children’s Miracle Network. Often while checking out at a store the cashier will ask “would you be willing to donate a dollar to the Children’s Miracle Network?” The name of the charity itself is pathos based. It involves children, children that are in need of a miracle. People are emotionally affected by children that are helpless and in need of a “miracle”. The fact that this title of the charity causes emotion, makes the argument pathos.
Ethos Arguments
An ethos argument is based on one’s character. “Arguments of character frequently merge with issues of value… because audiences tend to trust people with whom they can identify,” (Lunsford 64). It is easier to understand an argument when you have been faced with the same challenge. When I first began brainstorming about an ethical situation that I have encountered, I thought of work ethic, and soon remembered my first job. I think this argument appeals to nearly everyone because at some point, everyone has a first job and everyone has a job that they hated from the very beginning.
The summer before my freshman year of high school, I got a job at Story Land, a children’s theme park in New Hampshire. I was so happy when I got my letter saying I had been accepted into the department I had requested as my first choice, drama. I immediately researched the department in the flyers they gave me, filling my head with ideas of Cinderella, Silver Mine tours, and plays involving a scientific lab. I was the only one of my friends that had a job and everyone was so envious of the fact that I would be receiving paychecks for dancing around on a stage. The day orientation came around, it was pouring rain and I was getting the full shock of what work really is. I had to get on the bus at 8am to get there by 9am. I didn’t know a single soul and was suddenly really nervous about what the next eight hours would hold.
After my first few days of work, I realized that the job I had taken was not what I had expected at all. When they had said the drama department, they meant one day a week do something related to that, and the other days, walk around with a broom and clean the bathrooms. We were divided into different target areas of the park and would go hours without seeing anyone besides customers. Every Friday I was soon reminded of why I was working- the money. As soon as my $140 check reached my hands, those 35 hours were out of mind for that moment.
That job had a huge impact on my life, especially my work ethic. For an eighth grader, a day working from 9 to 5, plus 2 hours commuting, was a painful day. I would come home tomato red from sunburn, limping from aching feet after walking all day or simply crying because my boss caught me leaning against the wall and yelled at me. I learned that work really is work and that even when you are expecting a fun job, sometimes you get stuck with the not so fun parts of the job. I learned not to give up and quit (even though at a $5.25 wage, I probably should have). I am thankful for this experience because when I go into a new job, I have a new outlook. I know that if I could make it through a summer at Story Land, I can make it at any other job I may encounter.
Josh Jean
Rhetoric and Composition II
1/18/09
Ethos Based
Ethos based arguments are key for trying to figure out someone’s credibility. When you listen to anyone at anytime you are wondering where they are getting that information, or what gives them the right to talk like they know it all. After reading this section I realized that it was very important to explain yourself or to have known previous experience in the situation you are arguing to be taken seriously. There are many ways to earn credibility in an argument. One is to state how you know what it is and what is not in the topic you are discussion. Maybe you have studied this for many years, or have lived in the culture you are arguing about. Another way is to treat your audience with respect, almost like sucking up to them. If your audience find you to be trust worthy or feel connected through whatever reason they will respect you. The final thing is to being truthful about what you are trying to do. Some people like myself constantly feel like if this person is trying to get me to do this what are they getting out of it. When the audience knows what the end result will be they may or may not be likely to side with u.
I find myself in certain types of Ethos based argument all the time. When I read or listen to someone’s advice or input any different situations I constantly find myself wondering how? Or why? Can that person comment on that they don’t have the right to do so. I find myself not wanting to give out my respect or the privilege of backing up someone’s argument because I usually don’t want to agree. So when someone does win me over I believe they do something write in their own Ethos argument. These are not necessarily arguments, they are ways the speaker or marketing campaigns get to me.
A particular Ethos argument that I can never quite deal with is politics. Especially right now with the new presidential elect Barak Obama who I am not a big fan for. Being a conservative republican I have found myself just needing to be quite lately. I have one friend who will always come up to me and start talking politics because he knows the Democratic Party is on the winning side right now. Due to the entrance into the house. He will say how about Obama? And I will say how about Hillary because that’s who he was all about till she wasn’t good enough anymore. I don’t know enough about the views of both of the presidential elects to sit there and argue all the facts. But I do know as noted on the beginning of this lesson that a character should play a big part in determining our future. I also know that no one is more American then the man the Republican Party chose to represent. John McCain was trapped behind enemy lines and was tortured daily. He had enough pride for his Father, The United States Navy, and most importantly, The United States of America to be tortured everyday having bones broken instead of saying something bad about the U.S on camera. I don’t know about you but that’s someone I can look up to. Now we need to look up to and respect or president and hope for the best for our country.
An ethos based argument is one about ones character and trying to create credibilty. So the first ethos based argument that comes to mind would have to do with who should we vote for for president. If you plan on being an informed voter you will likely watch many political debates and other informational reports so that you can find out as much information about each canidate as possible. You will want to find out who represents your ideas the best and who has a good overall appeal. So it is actually the canidates that are presenting us with the ethos based argument. It is there objective to establish there charactor to us so that we get a feel of who they are as a person and how we may relate to them. Then of course they will speak to us about matters that give them the credibilty that they know what they are talking about and deserve to be our president.
A fine example of this would be President Barack Obamas Victory speech. He begins by addressing the nation in a way where he makes us all feel important. That we all have a voice and a chance to make a differance. He also refers to those who remain doubtful. Those who choose to sit back and believe that some things are just the way we are, that some things will never change. He then reinforcers our hope and our dreams that anything is possible. That we have made history on that night. That we have come together as a nation, many who never believed before, to show that we can achieve great things. In these ways he has related us all together, including himself. He is also a big enough man to show that he has respect for his opponent. That he chooses to work with McCain instead of being completely against him. He speaks of his family and how important they have been to him. I know I am not close with all of my family but I do realize how important they are and I’m sure the nation can relate to that. And beyond all of that he reminds us that it is not only his victory but that it is about us. He has spoken these words to us that make us see what kind of person he is. That he believes in us even when sometimes we don’t believe in oursleves. And in this way has established his character.
He continues by speaking of the peoples sacrafice for his campaign. That there was not much support from the beginning but that through the passion of the people they can achieve great things together. He speaks of what lies ahead of us and states the reality that everything is not going to work out the way they plan and that it takes time. But that with his experience and spirit we can stand together and change. He speaks with great humility and reminds us that it is about us. That with a great mind standing behind the people we can accomplish anything. He also refers to the great Abraham Lincoln’s wise words and in this way reinforces a belief in him to an agreeance with Lincoln. In all of these ways he has made us conclude that he may actually know what he is talking about. Showing that he is creditable.
His greatest words that he uses to reach out to America comes in his final impacting statements where he recites at the end of each one “yes we can”. Through this he has given us the motivation to not only believe in him but to believe in ourselves. His argument shows that with his help and a little bit of heart we can, together, see through infinite possibilities. Yes we can.
Sherry Cooper
Arguments Based on Character Ethos
Argument that are based on your ethos, or character are very compelling and are most often used by people who are trying to get hired or trying to convince others to come around to their point of view. Politicians, who people may not even like on a personal level ,but will still vote for that person based on their character and how they present their case. Many arguments can be won based purely on a person’s character and the experience that they have with the subject. As the article pointed out, an individual might not have as much education as another, will still be believed more, during a discussion, over the more educated one simply because they have more experience in that area. Also a person who is known to the decider will more than likely be believed over a person who is not known to them. This is why many writers will immediately list their credentials and experience that they have on a certain subject. Doing this gives them credibility and validates them to the readers letting the reader know that they have a right to discuss this subject. However there are many ways to insinuate that you are an authority on a subject. Simply portraying confidence may establish your credibility as well as can listing your sources so that the reader can check up on you.
A prime example of an argument based on character happened this summer. My sister has worked on the same cruise ship every summer for the past three years. Cleaning a certain amount of rooms is among the many duties that she has to perform on a daily basis. One day upon returning to his room, a customer on the ship could not find his wallet and claimed to the captain that my sister had taken it. Now this ship caters to a very high end clientele and this is a very considered to be a very serious allegation and there have been people who have been fired for even being suspected of stealing from customers. However, this captain knew my sister very well, having worked with her many times in the past, and immediately discredited this claim. He gave her more credit than he would have given to someone else because my sister had proven to him many times over that she is trustworthy because of her willingness to work hard and is often used to train the new people. Even though the customer is considered to be right in most situations, this customer was not believed merely based on what the captain knew of her character. The wallet was later found by another in the restaurant.
Homework
Ethos argument
An ethos argument consists of whoever is introducing the argument discussing how, why, and their motives that makes them eligible and trustworthy by that in which they are arguing. The person could explain their background information that makes them eligible to make the argument they may be presenting. A person could mention their achievements that make them qualified. Even certain job positions can make a person qualified to discuss topics related to their field. A person can obtain their trustworthiness by identifying their limitations and being straightforward and clear on the subject being presented.
A form of an ethos argument that has recently happened to me was involving a credit card. While shopping at the mall on Tuesday night, I decided that I wanted to obtain a credit card to the store which I was at. The woman who rang up the clothing I wished to purchase, had me fill out an application. I listed my full name, home address, phone number, social security number, and email. Then I was asked to produce a driver’s license and a credit card I already possessed. The reason for seeing the credit card I already had, was to check my credit history. Having a credit history, preferably a good one, is a large part of how companies/stores establish whether or not you are worthy enough to qualify for their credit card. Having a good credit history means that a person has successfully maintained their agreements with other credit endeavors. The person would have made payments on time, not gone over limits, and established financial means of paying for those credit debts. After a minute or so, the woman behind the register told me I was approved, and my card would arrive in the mail shortly. This encounter at the store is an ethos argument since I had to prove that I had good credit history, and was qualified to obtain the card. The fact that I had to show and present the credentials that made me eligible for this card makes this scenario and ethos argument. This ethos argument showed a part of my character by the presentation of a current credit card, driver’s license , and social number. The social number shows that I am a United States citizen. A driver’s license shows my age, and that I have obtained the ability to drive a vehicle. A current credit card, shows my credit history, ultimately proving that I have been successful with managing my credit. All of these things are working to prove that I am trustworthy and qualified to be accepted as a credit client. The appeal of my character to the store to was successful, as I was approved for the credit card. I believe that I was successful due to my positive credit history.
On the flip side, one of my friends chose to apply for a credit card at the same store, right after I had made my purchase. My friend however, did not already have an active credit card, and had not developed credit history. After filling out all of her information, and providing her license and her debit card, she was not approved. My friend’s ethos argument was not successful as she could not verify that she was qualified. Without presentation of positive credit history the store could not be certain that she would be a trustworthy card holder. As this scenario shows, making an effective ethos argument is essential in persuading a person (or store in this case) to concede to what you are asking of them. Being able to show that you have the qualifications, and are trustworthy of what you are arguing is a key factor in an effective ethos argument.
The two scenarios of applying for a credit card, one ending fruitful, and the other unfavorable, show both an ineffective, and a sufficient way of presenting an ethos argument. My good credit history made me trustworthy and qualified to be approved for another credit card. Whereas my friend’s lack of credit history was unable to prove that she would be qualified and trustworthy. Credit history can show and prove a persons character by giving evidence of their consistent payment to their debts, and financial stability.
Ethos is a presentation of self that a speaker brings to an argument. Many people pay close attention to ethos because many respect authority, admire integrity and motives. Many people seem to pay attention to these speeches because they believe that the speaker has credibility and that they respect the audience. People are usually more intrigued when they believe that the speaker knows what their talking about because of their authority or integrity and motives.
When it comes to encountering ethos in my life I can think of several occasions. Pretty much every day in college you are faced with an ethos argument, your professors. Every day you argue whether or not to believe them in what they are teaching you. Is the way they are teaching you right? Is the information they’re teaching you correct? Why should you believe them and listen to them? But you do listen to them and allow yourself to learn because when you first met them, they told you were they’ve gone to college and what their degree was. They let you know what their authority was and what their credibility was. They might have said they went to Harvard or Yale or Princeton and when you hear these names or a name of a school that was top in major. They might tell you that they were number two in their class or graduated with honors, all of this whether you know it or not is establishing their credibility and authority to teach this class and the material to you.
Another example of ethos I have encountered is talking to workers at stores. For example Best Buy. When you go into that store they have many employees in each area designed to help you because they have a degree in it or they are studying it in college. Whenever you talk to an employee they always tell you their background information to make you feel more comfortable about buying a product. Here they are establishing their credibility, letting you know that they know what they’re talking about and you should feel comfortable buying a product from them. Another good example at Best Buy is the Geek Squad, they are there to help you with electronic devices mainly computers. When you go to see them you can tell that they know what they’re doing because they tell you what’s wrong with your computer or they might use some lingo that you have never heard before or you might just ask them how do you know that and they would tell you were they went to college or where they’re going to college, all credibility and authority to ensure you that they know what they’re talking about.
Other examples of ethos are just everyday people and speakers. No matter what a person talks about whether it be an overview from a class they just had to a project they might have had to present. Everyone uses ethos. For example teaching people about a subject that you just learned in class you can say, “Remember when the teacher said this.” or you can say, “I know this because I learned it last year when I was in AP History.” When you say this you’re establishing credibility, why the person you’re trying to teach should listen to you. Another is example is oral and written presentations. In oral presentations you might say when I read such and such a book on x-rays, I learned that they can be used for other things that just looking at bones for fractures and breaks, or you could say when researching careers I learned that physical therapy has a better job outlook than physical education because people unfortunately are always going to get hurt, says the job outlook booklet online. Again you’re telling the audience the reasons why you know this and why you can talk about it (credibility). In written essays you establish credibility by using a works cited, which is where you cite all the information you found on your topic and how you’re able to talk and know so much about the subject. Also throughout your essay you use quotes from your cited sources. As you can see ethos has a lot of input in a speech/writing piece and many people pay attention to them more because they show credibility and authority.
“Ethos” Arguments
Ethos is a form of moral character, simply a state of being. An expression of knowledge and a sense of expertise about the argument they are representing. All speakers or writers who use ethos do it to identify with their intended audience. Sometimes they do this “through gestures, posture, eye contact, and tone of voice” (pg. 64, Lunsford). Trust is a major factor in winning an argument, and to win the audiences trust it’s important to know exactly what you are talking about and makes it seem reasonable. The intended audience always asks questions like are their motive, credibility, and authority on the topic true? It is important to present yourself as a person, and affectively convey the message in a way you are most comfortable. Addressing the audience with a level of respect is so important to ethos, and using language to communicate your argument to them.
The other day during Christmas break my mom and I were having a conversation about abortions; mind you this is a very controversial subject. We got talking and I had asked what her opinion was and how she felt about it. Her position was exactly this, and she sounded so confident and knew what her feelings were. She is pro- abortion because she said, “it’s like a women’s right!” She had made a good point and it was hard to argue against, but I also pointed out a good point that these are living humans and to kill such an innocent thing is hard to comprehend. My mother also said, “Well what about the case of a rape victim?” I agreed with her in that respect because the woman does not want to deal with the memory of that incident, and the child would always be a constant reminder of something that just shouldn’t happen. It is an awful thing for someone to go through, and my mom seemed like she had the knowledge and poise to argue on this subject; ethos.
Another type of ethos my regard selling you products, for example on t.v. there are ads for everything possible. They will persuade you will their knowledge and sometimes its eye appealing and it makes you believe in what they are saying. This is all part of receiving credibility, having a good character, claiming authority, and having good motives to support you feelings about something you strongly believe in; and this is what you call “ethos”.
A recent ethos-based argument I have recently encountered is Bush’s farewell speech. In this speech Bush says “I have experienced setbacks and there are things I would do differently if given the chance…you may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.” Bush tries to get the views on his side by saying he’s not perfect he has made mistakes and he is sorry for some things he did well in office. President Bush has one of if not the lowest approval ratings, he is aware of this and that’s why he states “there are things I would do differently…”
This is an ethos-based argument used to create credibility. Bush knows the majority of the country don’t approve of his decisions he argues that at least he made a decision. He is saying that he at least made some tough decisions. As we hear that it may sound true to us and as we think back to 9/11 we remember Bush defending our country and declaring war on terrorism. But if we take a different view on it, it does not seem so good. Is it ok for a president to make wrong decisions if he is doing what he thought was right? The answer is no, being president is the most important job and the hardest to achieve, the president is suppose to know the right decisions. That’s why we (the United States people) go though all we go through to choice our presidents; we want them to make the right decisions.
Establishing credibility played a key role in Bush’s speech this was the last time American people would see him address the nation as president of the United States. What Bush is trying to gain throughout his speech is respect he wants to be liked as an American citizen. It comes across that Bush would have nothing to gain from giving this speech, unlike every other speech he has ever given. But that is part of his tactic if people think he is addressing the nation to say thank you, and to say sorry for the ‘mistakes’ he may have made well in office. He also claims that he did what he thought was right to the best of his knowledge. In this part of his speech he tries to grab Americans attention and tells them he’s not perfect, he never said he was, he is human, and he does make mistakes like everyone else.
I think Bush’s farewell speech achieved what he was aiming for, to get more respect from the American people. In one part of his speech he talks about how in America there are people that do spectacular things, these things make us proud as a country. Bush and his wife invited a few American heroes’ that have done heroic and amazing things in recent years. Bush is trying to grab the viewer’s emotional side. He makes arguments that are hard to argue with, and he tells us that he is sure the economy will come around and America will strive like it has in recent years. He states how proud he is to be an American citizen.
This speech was a fine example of an ethos-based argument. Bush tells the American people that he may not have always been right, but he stood up to the plate and took a swing. The truth of the matter is anyone of us could do that, being wrong is easy and that is why we elect the person we think will do the best job during his term. This speech did work for him he touched a lot of people and made claims that were true, but may not have been because of him.
CBW
1-21-09
Ethos Based Arguments
Anyone would listen to a person who is well known, even if they’re not sure what they’re famous for. They could be like, “Hey, aren’t you the guy from that movie named…” but not know your name and still like you.
Famous figures get an advantage over a lot of people like that. You listen to these people who possess a lot of authority, or if they show character or motives that you follow, before you even listen to others. Arguments based on character like this is called ethos. Putting out an ethos based argument isn’t as simple having people like you and being trustworthy. You have to have the respect from them by having a well known face and common interests with some type of an audience that will follow in your footsteps.
Looking back at all the coaches that I’ve had for various sports teams, some put up ethos based arguments better than others. What makes the difference between them to me is how much integrity, respect, authority, they have. They’re history with coaching and the honesty they show is valued too.
Jeremy Mattoon is our men’s lacrosse coach. When he first came to our school we didn’t know who he was at first, or where he came from, or his experience in the sport. He applied for this job at Husson knowing that we were a first time program, and it was a risky decision to come over here because of that.
When we had our first lacrosse meeting with him though, we were startled. Coach Mattoon’s experience with lacrosse was infinite. He grew up playing the sport the heart of were it originated in Corning, New York. He also went on to Germany to play professionally over there for a few years. On top of that, he coached at one of the top prep-schools in the nation for lacrosse who won multiple national championships, and even received Coach of the Year. Afterwards, he rerouted back to here looking for a coaching job.
After that, he told us that we were going to take this season really seriously, and that it didn’t matter if some of our players have never even touched a stick. We were going to work the hardest we’ve ever had in our lives, and shoot for an even record this season.
Looking back, he drew up a pretty good argument for the outlooks of this season. Our coach has respect for us, and we definitely show respect back to him. He has a lot of authority and integrity in the game, and we acknowledge what he has done in past history. As this season comes up, he is confident that we can achieve the common goals we have and to do well. We have a lot of work to do to better improve our skills, but if we listen to him, I’m sure that it is possible to achieve a lot of things. After just having our first practice, I think he might be right, and that things will go better that I thought.
We as a team clearly stand were he comes from and we know that he shows a lot of character. We respect him for that, along with the achievements and acknowledgments he has received in the sport. The ethos argument he makes is a good one, and we’ll be paying close attention to what he says.
After reading the chapter on ethos based arguments I have thought of a few I have encountered in the past few weeks and months. When the first day of a semester comes each class I went to the teacher presented me with plenty of ethos in there speeches. Every teacher established there character and credibility on the subject they all teach. Whey tell you what there degree is in how long they have been teaching at Husson and at other places, they also explain to you any other kinds of experience they have with they subject that they teach on a daily basis. I had one of my teachers establish his credibility by introducing himself and Dr. He said that since he had put in a tremendous amount of time earning his doctorate we as students should respect that and call him by that title. Teachers also use ethos to get there students to by into there teaching plan. If they can get you to trust them they can get you to see there point of view on how the class should be taught and what you should be getting out of the course that they are qualified to teach to you. These appeals to the character of all my teachers worked every well. A teacher with great confidence and who will stand in front of a class and give me some good representation of there character and as well show that they have a good reason or have the creditability to be standing in front of me teaching me about the subject they teach is a successful ethos based argument in my opinion
You also see ethos in almost every thing political. Most politicians will use ethos to get you to vote in there favor. They try to show you there character based on how they have voted in that past and there present stance on important issues that they want you to vote on in there favor. Politicians will come out and tell you what there just what there agenda is just so it makes them seem a little more creditable. Yesterday was inauguration day and Barrack Obama presented one of the best speeches I have had the pleasure of hearing that was filled with lots of ethos of why he was going to be a great president. When he said that they only way we can fix the problems that we have as a nation now is to take responsibility for each other not just ourselves. Making his agenda clear he wants to help us fix our problems but its going to take a lot of work from us not just him. When the presidential election was still going on you got to see ethos based arguments in political advertisement on TV more then once a day. These ads quickly give the person watching them an idea of the opponent’s credibility and character; usually that credibility and character is not shown in a positive way. They can also be used to show that the person running for president has impeccable character and creditability these ads are a very valuable tool when it comes to winning elections because there are some people who do not really care about who is going to be the next president, and vote based off what they have seen on a TV commercial a few weeks prior to the election.
1/20/09
“Ethos”
Credibility in this world to an honest man or women I believe is a great characteristic. If there is one thing I can say about myself it’s that I most often mean what I say and almost always stick to my word. To me I can relate to ethos arguments more than pathos because I can see where they come up more in my everyday life a lot more that I can notice more easily. Being able to talk to people and be able to show good character and reliance is a huge advantage in life itself. Having these qualities in the everyday arguing world just makes everyday life go that much smoother.
I like to think of myself as having these good skills. I could be totally wrong though, call it overconfidence to stupidity it’s what I think. There has just been too many times in my life where things have gone incredibility my way. Don’t get me wrong though there have been misfortunes as well. A good example I can think of is how my snowmobiling experience was over the holiday break. My family is big into snowmobiling and it’s brought a lot of fun and expensive spending to continue having the pleasure. Well needless to say my sled broke which was a misfortune, but I knew just the guy I needed to see.
His name is Guy Fortin and is a perfect example for me to use. I’ve known Guy worked on snowmobiles since I got into the hobby around 8th grade. He uses his leisure time to fix snowmobiles and set them up for drag racing in the winter. He isn’t nothing certified but has honestly made a nice little business out of his leisure time. His work is quality but isn’t a professional business. He got his good name through credibility and reliance and to me is a prime example of a good ethos case. People are always having him do work for them over the local dealers that are certified etc. People always respect him greatly because he really only charges people for the parts he needs to buy to get the sleds running. These good qualities give him a great name in the area and when he’s talking about anything to do with snowmobiles everybody tunes right into here what he has to say.
Guy being a legit honest backyard mechanic makes his word better than most I believe. This is how I can relate to how you listen to someone based on ethos. Me knowing Guy and his credibility and not money hungry attitude makes me really trust his opinions on sleds. Where if I went down to the local sled dealer I wouldn’t really listen to much they have to say at all, based on my experiences with them and business in general. Ethos arguments are defiantly part of everyday life and are easy to run into many different ways. I can strongly feel that these arguments appear a great deal more than other types.
Ethos Argument
Ethos based argument is an ethical appeals or appeals based on the writer’s authority and credibility. It’s important that an author presents him or herself as ethical in order for their audiences to respond well. Making ethical appeals shows your audiences that you are authoritative and trustworthy; it also shows that you as the author are knowledgeable. Creditability is an important factor when making an ethos based argument. Ways that you can prove to your audience that you are creditable is by backing your arguments with facts and qualifications. At the same time sharing your values with the audience, and being fair and respecting their values too. Using ethical appeals is important to the success of your argument.
An example of an ethos based argument that I had encountered would be the time when I lied to my mom about what I was doing. I told her that I was going over to a friend’s house to stay the night and that we were just going to hang around her house. We were actually planning to go down to Portland with some other friends of ours to the Maine Mall. If I had told my mom that that was where we were going she would have let me do it. She wouldn’t have let me go because she doesn’t like people she doesn’t know to drive, plus the fact that it was late on a Friday night. She told me that she didn’t want me to be out driving late at night because that’s the time when all the drunken people are out and about. I told her that we weren’t going to be going out but in the back of my mind I was like if you only knew. I knew that it wasn’t right to lie to my mom because she deserves to know the truth and she trusted me. My mother taught me that it wasn’t a nice thing to lie and that if people find out you do its hard for you to gain their trust again. The fact that I lied to my mother even though she put her trust on me was wrong. I knew that she was only looking out for me because she didn’t want to lose me to some drunk driver. In the end we did end up going down to the mall but I never told my mother even after the fact that I did it. I didn’t want her to lose trust in me even though I knew what I did was wrong.
Ethos based arguments allows the author to reach out to their audiences and prove to them that they are creditable and ethical. It’s a way for them to connect with the audience by showing them that they respect their values although they may not agree. There are many ways that you can show your audience that you are knowledgeable about a certain subject by using facts and showing your qualifications along with respect for your audiences.
An ethos-based argument is based on the writer or speaker’s credibility. They need to have a sense of knowledge and understanding of the subject which they are arguing. An audience responds better to writers or speakers that know what they are talking about if they have the authority to speak about an issue or if they have good motives for addressing the subject. In order to establish credibility, one would need to “make reasonable claims and then back them up with evidence and documentation” (69). The person being held credible depends on the subject matter. For instance, you wouldn’t ask a doctor how to fix your car or a mechanic how to cure your cold. Ethos arguments are best believed if the information is given by a professional, expert, or someone the audience finds trustworthy or respectful.
An example of an ethos-based argument that I have encountered recently was between my mom and my older brother Chris. My brother went to college for computer sciences and information and now works for the government in Washington, D.C. designing computer safety programs. With a background like that, he obviously could be considered a professional or expert on the matter. My mom recently bought a new computer and was debating whether to go to a computer store to decide what type of anti-virus type software she should use in order to protect her computer. I told her instead of going to Best Buy or Circuit City, she should ask Chris what he thinks she should get. She responded by saying that she wanted to get a good deal rather than pay for something she does not desperately need. I convinced her to call my brother before she made any decision on what to do and just as I thought, he helped her get a program that was very effective and not very expensive.
This ethos argument appealed to character because my mom had to decide whether to ask for help from a salesperson or someone with more credibility. Getting a college degree and having a steady job in computer work definitely makes my brother more credible for this situation because he has better knowledge and understanding of the subject. Furthermore, ethos-based arguments can also be settled if the person being held credible is trustworthy or respected. For example, someone might trust their local car dealership to get a good deal on a car rather than order one offline. In my mom’s case, she should have completely trusted and respected my brother’s opinion because it is her own son and she was the one who put him through college and helped him find a good job after. Therefore, being credible about a topic and earning the trust and respect of others puts someone ahead of those who are not credible or do not possess the authority to speak about specific issues.
Andrew Wheeler
Prof. Adam Crowley
EH 124
21 January 2009
Ethos: Arguments based on Character
After reading the “Arguments Based on Character – Ethos” article I realized that there are several different ways you can use ethos to address a situation. You can use it in a political speech, you can use it in music, you can use it to address a certain group of people, or you can even use it to address a classroom during a speech you are presenting. Ethos deals with certain ways to win an audiences attention by using an emotional standpoint. It all depends on the language you use, the evidence you create, and the ways you can show yourself to an audience by physical gestures, posture, eye contact, or your tone of voice. You can use ethos to understand how arguments are based on character work, to claim authority, or establishing credibility. Oprah Winfrey would be a great example of a person who uses ethos. During her show “Oprah”, she uses many different types of emotions every day to win the audiences attention over. She will sometimes talk about something serious, or sometimes will make the audience tear up. Either way, she knows how to use ethos to win an audience over.
I find myself in ethos-based arguments almost every day. When I go to classes and a student makes sometimes an outrageous statement, I wonder to myself how, or why does this student make this statement. Does he or she have any evidence or knowledge about the situation, does he or she even know what they are talking about, or trying to explain. Sometimes I would like to jump into the conversation, but hold myself back because I am not even sure if I have knowledge on the situation.
I do not like to involve myself into certain types of ethos based arguments, such as arguments dealing with politics, or science. I really do not understand much about either of these subjects, so I cannot jump in and make statements when I have no basic knowledge or understanding. The most recent ethos-based argument I have encountered was yesterday, when Barack Obama was delivering his inauguration speech. He was saying all of these things, making it sound like he is going to come right into office and make everything smell like flowers, and everything will be perfect. Although I don’t know much about politics, I am pretty sure I can say that being the President of the United States is not in any way a simple job. Don’t get me wrong, I really do hope he can come into office and make everything run perfect, and create millions of job opportunities, but let’s be realistic at least. No one human is capable of taking over the President position and make everything perfect.