70th Edition, Autumn 2019
Aristotle’s forgotten appeals
Hasnaê Kerach Hasnaê explores Aristotle’s forgotten, and widely known appeals. individuality and uniqueness of a situation and drawing persuasion 400 years ago, Aristotle support from the timing, atmosphere 2 introduced a manuscript and the setting of what is happening called “Rhetoric” to the world. It has at that very moment. A good example withstood the test of time and proved is seen by looking at how retailers try to be one of the most influential to influence consumers to buy a works on persuasion. certain product Aristotle defined leading up to Grant Pearson Brown Rhetoric as the Valentine’s Day or Consulting Ltd. ‘faculty of discovering Christmas. It is a call
in any particular case to act now because of
The Presentation & all of the available t h e c u r r e n t Business Development means of persuasion’. circumstances. Specialists He explained that
these included several Unlike the other Advice squeezed concepts, now known appeals, Kairos is a straight from the together as Aristotle’s dynamic rather than a experts Appeals. fixed principle. It demands a high
Aristotle’s rhetorical degree of flexibility
appeals have many and agility from the applications in life. Aristotle - a modern take on persuader. For They crop up ancient thinking example: you have wherever you are prepared a speech on In this edition: trying to steer the conversation in Brexit for a 90% “pro-Brexit” your preferred direction. Think about audience. Just before entering the Aristotle’s forgotten appeals Hasnaê Kerach your last pitch, presentation, room to give your speech, the Hasnaê explores Aristotle’s fundraising or other form of organisers apologise to you informing forgotten appeals. communication where you had to you that they’ve made a
The Style Council convince your audience to adopt your terrible mistake in their brief and in Desmond Harney viewpoint, change their behaviour or fact, the audience in the room are Desmond considers the value grant you the promotion you always actually against Brexit and are of using a Style Guide. wanted. Here, we will explore two of convinced that staying in Europe is A stoic view of trust Aristotle’s somewhat forgotten the best option for the UK. In Ewan Pearson Ewan shows how stoicism appeals: Kairos and Telos. We will situations like these and regardless of affects modern business also review his better-known appeals: your own viewpoint, if you want to Logos, Ethos and Pathos. persuade, you will have to adjust your Wedding speeches Alastair Grant speech to fit the new circumstance. Alastair gives some advice on Kairos Kairos, in this case, is also about the ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to This is the appeal to “Timeliness”. In appropriateness of your tone and do’ during a wedding speech. Greek, Kairos means “opportunity”, making sure that your argument “right time”, “season” and “weather”. matches the situation. Kairos is about recognising the
1 70th Edition, Autumn 2019
Aristotle’s forgotten appeals... continued.
Telos reliability and credibility that you have This is the appeal to “Purpose” and as an individual or organisation. Many “end goal”. Aristotle argued that all companies use this appeal by asking a things - arguments, living beings and celebrity to endorse their products. objects - have a function or a purpose. The questions to ask here are: How Telos informs every aspect of your well do you present yourself as a communication; it is about making communicator? Do you seem sure that your communication as a knowledgeable and reasonable? Do whole or the built-in arguments are you seem trustworthy? Do you treat serving a goal. It may be your goal to opponents and people who may get hired, or it’s a goal that has been disagree, with fairness and respect? set by your audience. The questions Do you try to establish common to ask here are: What purpose do ground with the audience? these things serve? Are you appealing to the end goal of the audience? Pathos The appeal to “Emotions”. Pathos For example, when creating your pitch allows your audience to relate to you content, Telos would be the or your message at the emotional central thread that binds your key level. It is about how well you tap into messages and arguments together, the audience's feelings, using stories thus helping you create a and anecdotes. The main question to more persuasive case. If the purpose ask here is: Do you appeal to the of your pitch is to help your client audience’s emotions - feelings of close a gap in their balance sheet, it is sadness, pride, fear, being young, very important that you keep this anger, patriotism, love, justice, purpose in mind while creating your excitement etc.? On the other hand, is content; every argument you make is the speech loaded with facts, figures, then an elaboration on how you can and nothing else? Is the emotional close that gap supported with appeal effective or overwhelming? additional data and information. In this case, you can compare your key Building compelling content and arguments and messages to separate arguments is a process that requires rivers that are all flowing in the same you to take all these appeals into direction and ultimately into the same account. It is worth mentioning, sea, which is your end goal. however, that an argument can correspond to more than one appeal Logos and that the above list is not The appeal to “Logic” and “Reason”. exclusive. There are other persuasion That is, how well you use the ‘text’ of means in the Rhetoric that you could your argument and evidence. Effective use to strengthen your argument, arguments will include facts and other such as brevity and metaphor. supporting details to back up claims and have no logical gaps. The content By Hasnaê Kerach may include testimony from authorities and will demonstrate your carefulness in choosing and considering evidence. Questions to Advice squeezed consider: What is being argued here, or what is your thesis? What facts do 1. Dillard, J. and Pfau, M. (2002). The persuasion straight from the handbook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. you offer to support your idea? 2. Eidenmuller, M. (2019). American Rhetoric: experts Definitions of Rhetoric. [online] Americanrhetoric.com. Available at: https:// Ethos americanrhetoric.com/rhetoricdefinitions.htm The appeal to “Ethics” and [Accessed 18 Sep. 2019]. “Character”. That is about your 3. Galo, C. (2019). The Art of Persuasion Hasn’t Changed in 2,000 Years. [online] Harvard Business trustworthiness and credibility. As a Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2019/07/the- communicator, you can persuade your art-of-persuasion-hasnt-changed-in-2000-years audience by using your expertise and [Accessed 18 Sep. 2019]. 4. Kinneavy. J & Eskin, C. (2000) Kairos in Aristotle’s knowledge on a certain matter, or the Rhetoric, Sage Publications, Inc.
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