Mlk Ethos Pathos Logos

From ancient Rome to Obama, politicians have been using the art of rhetoric to communicate more effectively. To create discussion, to bring awareness, but most often to persuade. While people do consider logic (logos) and credibility (ethos) in their decision making, the trumping factor is their emotions (pathos.) Often people make decisions which doesn’t make sense but which “feel” correct. For this reason politicians have refined the art of rhetoric so that they can connect to their audience emotionally. Marc Antony, Martin Luther King Jr, and Barack Obama, in particular demonstrate how pathos is the most effective rhetorical device as it allows the orator to build an emotional connection with the audience, and therefore persuade them.

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However, while Antony appealed to anger, MLK appealed to the love he knew the people had for each other. In his “I Have a Dream” speech MLK connects to his audience by contrasting the dark and brutal things that have been happening to people of color to the hopeful future he sees in his dream. He mentions how people of color have been “seared in the flames of withering injustice” and then later talks about his hope that his “four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” This is a clear example of pathos as he is relating the his speech back to his own life. He’s telling his own story of what he hopes for his own children. Most parents will do anything to help their children and by mentioning their children MLK is further convincing people that they need to fix these issues for the next generation. The emotion parents feel for their children is far stronger than any logic or reasoning they may possess. While MLK’s speech did have logic, the reason people followed him was because of the hope he cultivated in them through his use of

One a simple level, one way Obama does this is always speaking in first person plural (“we come to proclaim”, “we will build”, “we will restore”, “we will harness”). This establishes a basic connection to his “fellow citizens” and implies that he is one of them and that he understands them. Another example of Obama’s use of pathos is his imagery. He says things like “to the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.” This conjures an image of a poor malnourished child with no access to water, which the audience feels sympathy for. Similar to MLK’s I have a dream speech, Obama alternates between describing the problems of the world (appealing to people’s sympathy) and describing his hope for the future which inspires people. In this speech, Obama doesn’t lay out his plans for how he plans to achieve these goals, or explain why he is worthy of this office, he inspires people to believe in him because that will gain him more support than anything