Examples Of Ethos In The Declaration Of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was formed resulting from the treatment of 13 colonies from the British government without representation after subsequent denials to be represented and treated equal. This historic document was revolutionary because it’s what began the transition of our government into a democracy unlike that of parliament in the 1700’s. The British government and their ruling made decisions that didn’t involve what was right for the people; only what was in the best economic interest of parliament. This caused significant hardships on the American colonies which eventually led to them coming together as a people and forming this declaration.

Ethos is an appeal to ethics, which gives the author credibility to persuade their attended audience. For instance, both Lukianoff and Haidt give a little insight about who they are, “Greg Lukianoff is a constitutional lawyer and the president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which defends free speech and academic freedom on campus, and has advocated for students and faculty involved in many of the incidents this article describes; Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist who studies the American culture wars.” (Lukianoff and Haidt). Using this rhetorical strategy to start their argument off was a strong approach to persuading their attended audience because it provides credibility to the readers to prove to them that the authors know what they’re talking about and it makes the argument much more effective. Another example of ethos that the authors provide is, “Today, what we call the Socratic method is a way of teaching that fosters critical thinking, in part by encouraging students to question their own unexamined beliefs, as well as the received wisdom of those around them… But vindictive protectiveness teaches students to think in a very different way… A campus culture devoted to policing speech and punishing speakers is likely to engender patterns of thought that are surprisingly similar to those long identified by cognitive behavioral therapists as causes

The next element in the rhetorical situation is pathos. Pathos is defined as connecting the author and the reader using emotion. Pathos is more reader dependent than the other elements. Pathos helps the writer know to know their audience and who they are intending to write for. Connecting to the audience using pathos is a strong way to get the support of the reader. The audience needs to be moved by what they’re reading. Without pathos, the writer won’t be able to properly connect to their audience.

Meanwhile, ethos allow the reader to view the author as a trustworthy source and builds the author's credibility. An author can do this in a number of different ways, such as using other credible sources to their advantage or by building common ground with the reader. It is especially important for Gladwell’s audience to trust him, as he is trying to convince them that what they believe about success is wrong.

In addition to defining the government’s powers, the Declaration of Independence helps to define America’s nationhood. The Declaration of Independence was the first document composed. It declared the colonies’ independence from Great Britain which meant that it was the beginning of a new free nation. “Lincoln used the Declaration of Independence to construct national identity” (Farber, 2007). He says that the Declaration of Independence is the foundation on which the United States was formed which

Pathos is an emotional appeal in which the advertisers hope that the consumers will allow their claim. Say for instance most people will notice a puppy behind what looks like to be a rusty cage. Seeing a cage like that, makes some wonder how bad the conditions are that the puppy is living in. then there is the puppy who

Pathos is used very effectively in Seth Davis’s article. By using pathos he is helping to expose the purpose of the article in a way that you wouldn’t think of before. Davis states “As the father of three children under the age of eight, I can only pray that someone “exploits” my sons someday

This was a document that was written to explain why we should break away from Great Britain and become independent from their laws. It explains that all men (and now women too) are created equal and were born with rights that cannot be taken away…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To ensure that these rights remain, the people create a government and laws that will protect these rights. When the government starts to act in such a way that these rights are threatened…then the people have the right to change the government or remove it and replace it with a new one. It then continues to list the reasons why they want to sever ties with Great Britain and list the ways they feel they have

Thomas Jefferson’s mastery in writing is made evident throughout The Declaration of Independence. Through his use of rhetorical styles, he makes a clear and logical case for why it is necessary for the colonies to declare their independence. Jefferson achieves this power through the structuring of this document using Aristotle’s modes of argument, and by using the specific use of diction, imagery, and syntax. Aristotle’s three modes of argument are used to create the power the Declaration of Independence needed. According to European-Rhetoric.com, Aristotle’s three modes of argument are ethos, pathos, and logos.

The appeal of pathos is heavily exhibited throughout the film. It was use to arouse a strong emotion from the audience. A perfect example from the movie is the

i. Topic Sentence - Ethos is referred to as the trustworthiness or credibility of the speaker and their tone of the literature.

Logos: It is an appeal to the mind with the use of logic, rationality and critical reasoning to persuade the audience. The author uses logos in his article to make a logical connection with the topic. For example, the author uses the explanation of ideas in the article and employs lots of diagrams in each parts of the topic to show the visualization to support his evidence which is very informative because the visuals give lots of information about what the article is about and that to get attention of the audience.

Logos means reason. Martin Luther King Jr. uses logos to show why he is delivering this speech and why he wants things to change. He is delivering this speech to show how many blacks and other races, that weren’t being treated equally, really didn’t have freedom like they should. “It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro.” (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 6) “Instead of honoring the sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” (King, M. L. Jr. (1963, Aug.28) Para 5) These quotes are just a couple of the logos quotes Martin Luther King said in his speech.

The Declaration of Independence brought America its independence, and it self, as well as our constitution. The declaration of independence had many positive effects on America. The Declaration of Independence is the usual name of a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. This stated that the thirteen American colonies, called themselves the thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and that they were no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead of staying in the British Empire, they formed a new nation; the United States of America. Many people wanted independence, but John Adams really believe in and pushed for independence. America’s independence was approved on July 2, 1776. A committee of five had already wrote a draft of the declaration, so it was ready when Congress voted on independence. The term "Declaration of Independence" is not used in the document itself, but is explained and perceived.

How to Speak How to Listen by Mortimer Adler discusses the best techniques to use while in an argument. According to Adler, ethos signifies one’s character. Ethos is present when one is trying to have a character that is fitting for the purpose at hand. Ethos includes making yourself attractive to the audience and proving to them that you are credible. An example of having ethos has a lot to do with how I would present myself to the audience. In order for them to believe that I am credible, I must look the part, that includes cleanliness, looking put together, and healthy. If the audience sees that you can take care of yourself, then they have a higher chance of believing that you can take care of them and their situation. Using ethos can also include presenting the audience with a personal story. This will fill them in with background information about myself and let them know how my character played out during whatever situation I spoke about. The situation would have to be similar to the one the audience is facing, in order for them to draw parallels and better understand how I would handle that particular event.