The three main means of persuasion in rhetorical approaches are ethos, pathos, and logos, while the three main purposes are legislative, forensic, and ceremonial. Logos uses facts and logic, pathos uses emotions, and ethos involves building credibility. Legislative rhetoric is politically oriented, judicial rhetoric accuses or defends, and ceremonial rhetoric offers blame or praise.
Rhetorical approaches can be described in terms of the means of persuasion used or in terms of the purpose of a particular rhetorical work. The three main means of persuasion, as outlined by Aristotle in his treatise Ars Rhetorica, are ethos, pathos and logos. Similarly, there are three main purposes for classical rhetorical works, also described by Aristotle as rhetorical species. These approaches include legislative, forensic, and ceremonial, otherwise known as deliberative, judicial, and epiditic.
Like rhetorical approaches, logos, ethos, and pathos dictate how a speaker or writer addresses an audience in an attempt to persuade or otherwise influence an audience. Logos uses facts and logic to persuade, focusing on arguments of induction or deduction. Induction starts with a specific instance and leads the audience to a general understanding whereas deduction takes the audience from a general understanding to a specific instance. Pathos uses emotions to appeal to an audience, based on responses such as anger, fear, love, or pity.
Ethos, the last of the three rhetorical approaches based on the persuasive method, involves building credibility in the eyes of the public. A speaker or writer must establish his own ethical or moral credibility in trying to get the audience to agree with a particular point of view. He or she accomplishes this through goodwill, common sense, an intelligent presentation, and by establishing himself as a good-natured virtuous individual.
In terms of purpose-based approaches, classical rhetoric has historically been divided into three branches based on factors such as the audience and the topic under discussion. Each purpose, whether legislative, judicial or ceremonial, required different approaches and means of persuasion. Rhetoric students were taught how to identify which approach was most appropriate based on the topic and audience.
Legislative rhetoric was, and still is, politically oriented. Formally known as deliberative rhetoric, its purpose is to dissuade one political viewpoint, exhort another viewpoint, or both. Judicial rhetorical approaches, also known as forensic rhetoric, aim to accuse or defend based on the point of view taken. For example, dramatic and flowery closing arguments made in a criminal trial would be considered judicial rhetoric, as these arguments are intended to persuade a jury to convict or exonerate a defendant.
Finally, epiditic or ceremonial rhetoric, also known as demonstrative rhetoric, is intended to offer blame or praise. Such rhetorical approaches are typically used for any persuasive work that does not fit into political or judicial arguments. While legislative, forensic, and ceremonial are not the only purposes of rhetoric, they are the most common instances where rhetoric is used.
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