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On
Rhetoric
2.12-17
"Ethos"
Commentary
CONTENTS:
Ethos
(2.12-17)
I.
Introduction (2.12)
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In
this section Aristotle will go into a lengthy description of various
character types. Although in 2.1, Aristotle discusses ethos
primarily in terms of the character of of the speaker as a means of
persuasion, throughout the rest of Book II he primarily focuses on the
ethos of the audience. The aim here seems to be on how
the speaker will have to adjust his ethos to the various types
of audiences he is addressing (Grimaldi 2:186). In
addressing an audience, the speaker, then, needs to keep in mind (1)
the age if his audience and (2) their circumstances in life.
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Although
we generally talk in terms of the character of individuals, Aristotle
believes that different classes of people also manifest common
character traits. Thus we can also talk about the character of
the elderly or of the rich.
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"The
predominant meaning of ethos in Aristotle is 'moral character'
as reflected in deliberate choice of actions and as developed in a
habit of mind. At times, however, the word seems to refer to
qualities, such as an innate sense of justice or quickness of temper,
with which individuals may be naturally endowed and which dispose them
to certain kinds of action." (Kennedy 162)
II.
The Ethos of the Speaker (2.1)
A.
Aristotle's Discussion
1.
Before examining Aristotle's discussion of the various character-types
that the speaker will encounter in his audience, we must return for a
moment to some brief, but very important comments that Aristotle makes
in 2.1 about the ethos of the speaker himself.
2.
According to Aristotle, there are three aspects of the speaker's
character that helps to persuade an audience:
a)
good sense:
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does
the speaker seem to have intelligence, expertise, authoritativeness?
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does
he appear to know what he is talking about?
b)
good moral character:
c)
good will (towards audience):
B.
Contemporary Issues (McCroskey, 87-107)
1.
Other important dimensions of the speaker's character that can
help to persuade:
a)
Composure
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does
the speaker possess a high degree of emotional control?
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or
does he ramble, stammer, talk too quickly?
b)
Sociability
c)
Extroversion
2.
Types of Ethos:
a)
initial ethos: the source of ethos prior to the beginning
of the communicative act.
b)
derived ethos: source of ethos produced during the act of
communicating
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a
speaker will develop high derived ethos if he (1) starts with
views that his audience will readily accept, (2) backs up his
speech with hard data, (3) has a good style of delivery (increases
his appearance of authority), (4) gives the appearance of
sincerity, (5) avoids using fear appeals or militant language.
c)
terminal ethos: ethos of a source at the completion of
the communicative act
III.
The Ethos of the Audience
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Exercise 2.3:
For each character type described below assess the following (1)
How accurate is Aristotle's portrayal of the group that he is
describing? (2) How can we use the descriptions of these
different character types to help persuade an audience? |
A.
Age (2.12-14)
1.
the character of the young (2.12)
a)
Aristotle's description of the young emphasizes the strength of their
bodily drives.
b)
the young, he claims....
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have
stronger passions than those who are older
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are
most swayed by sexual desire, and in this they often show a lack
of self-control
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have
intense desires that tend to be short-lived
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love
honor, but love victory more, since young people love to win
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tend
to act out of anger more than those who are older
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are
more easily deceived and cheated than those who are older
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tend
to be optimistic, because they haven't been knocked down much by
life and hopeful because they still have a long life ahead of them
2.
the character of the elderly (2.13)
a)
Aristotle's description of the elderly begins by showing that their
character is contrary to that of the young. The emphasis in this
section is primarily upon the idea that the experience of the eldery
in life makes them somewhat cynical.
b)
the elderly, he maintains...
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having
lived a long time, having make mistakes, and having been taken in
by others, view life with less confidence than the young.
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tend
to be overly cautious in their actions and in expressing opinions
(e.g., they "think but never know")
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tend
to be more suspicious and distrustful than the young
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live
more in the past than the future, since their life is drawing to a
close.
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tend
to be a bit stingy, because they know how hard money is to come by
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feel
pity for others, but more out of weakness than kindness
3.
the character of those in the prime of life (2.14)
a)
As opposed to the elderly who are often difficult to persuade and the
young who are governed by their passions, Aristotle's description of
those in their prime makes it clear that he believes that they are far
more easily persuaded by reason. Aristotle describes the prime
of life as physically between 30 and 35 and intellectually between 30
and 49.
b)
those in the prime of life, he says...
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have
characters free from the extremes of youth and old age (i.e., they
are neither too rash nor too timid; neither too skeptical nor
overtrusting; neither too generous nor too stingy)
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combine
the best traits of youth and old age, while avoiding many of the
excesses.
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tend
to make decisions on a rational basis
B.
Circumstance (2.15-17)
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"Tykhe
can mean 'chance,' 'accident,' 'fortune,' or 'luck.' To
Aristotle it represents unmotivated contingency, not Fate or the
predetermined will of some divinity; but he realizes that some people
seem consistently luckier than others. Some of the advantages
Aristotle describes, for example, good birth, can be said to be a
matter of chance; but power combines luck with ability and effort on
the part of the person who has it." (Kennedy 169)
1.
wealth (2.16)
Those
who possess great wealth, according to Aristotle...
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tend
to be insolent, overbearing and pretentious
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value
everything by money
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tend
towards ostentation (showiness)
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consider
themselves entitled to everything (especially political power)
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tend
to do wrong more form
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all
these vices are compounded in the nouveau riche
2.
power (2.17)
Those
who possess great power...
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are
generally a better sort than the rich
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tend
to be even more ambitious and heroic
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are
more energetic and serious than other people because they want to
stay in power
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can
be a bit overbearing, but also possess a dignified reserve
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usually
commit great rather than petty crimes.
Suggestions
for Further Reading
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Cooper,
Lane, trans. and intro. The Rhetoric of Aristotle.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ; Prentice Hall, 1962.
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Garver,
Eugene. Aristotle's Rhetoric. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1994.
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Grimaldi,
William. Aristotle's Rhetoric: A Commentary.
2 vols. New York: Fordham University Press, 1980-1988.
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Gill,
Christopher. "The Ethos/Pathos Distinction in Rhetorical
and Literary Criticism." Classical Quarterly 34
(1984): 149-166.
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Kennedy,
George A. Aristotle: On Rhetoric. New York:
Oxford University Press, 1991.
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McCroskey,
James C. Introduction to Rhetorical Communication.
Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1997.
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For more information contact: mrusso@molloy.edu
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