Ancient Greeks and Ethos
The Greeks defined ethos as a person’s character (Crowley and Hawhee 146). Today, the term ethos also refers to a speaker’s trustworthiness or credibility (“A General Summary” 1). In Ancient Greece, character was based on one’s habits and reputation within the community (Crowley and Hawhee 146). The trick to building ethos was to make oneself “into an authority on the subject…as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect” (“A General Summary” 1). The community’s judgment of a speaker is essential here.
There are two types of ethical proofs: invented and situated. Invented ethos occurs when a speaker crafts a character that is effective in a certain situation (Crowley and Hawhee 149). For instance, Aristotle was more concerned with “the appearance of character that they [speakers] presented within their discourse” than how speakers actually were in their day-to-day life (Crowley and Hawhee 148). In other words, whether a speaker was a decent human being in real life was not the determining factor in her ethos; the character or appearance she crafted for herself in her argument was. This is an example of how a speaker can rely on invented ethos. Some ways a speaker can build invented ethos for himself are by demonstrating his knowledge about the topic, establishing good moral character, and securing goodwill with the audience (Crowley and Hawhee 153-161).
Situated ethos occurs when a speaker already has a certain reputation in the community and she uses it as ethical proof in her argument (Crowley and Hawhee 149). Modern scholars of rhetoric recognize the significance of situated ethos. For instance, they cite “expertise in the field…[and] previous record or integrity” as aspects that play a part in the persuasiveness of a speaker’s argument (“A General Summary” 1). Situated ethos is so powerful because “rhetoric is embedded in social situations” (Crowley and Hawhee 162). The dimensions of any rhetorical situation include the attitudinal and situational as well as the interpersonal—whether the audience likes the speaker, the power the speaker holds, and how close the speaker is to the audience (Crowley and Hawhee 162-164).
There are two types of ethical proofs: invented and situated. Invented ethos occurs when a speaker crafts a character that is effective in a certain situation (Crowley and Hawhee 149). For instance, Aristotle was more concerned with “the appearance of character that they [speakers] presented within their discourse” than how speakers actually were in their day-to-day life (Crowley and Hawhee 148). In other words, whether a speaker was a decent human being in real life was not the determining factor in her ethos; the character or appearance she crafted for herself in her argument was. This is an example of how a speaker can rely on invented ethos. Some ways a speaker can build invented ethos for himself are by demonstrating his knowledge about the topic, establishing good moral character, and securing goodwill with the audience (Crowley and Hawhee 153-161).
Situated ethos occurs when a speaker already has a certain reputation in the community and she uses it as ethical proof in her argument (Crowley and Hawhee 149). Modern scholars of rhetoric recognize the significance of situated ethos. For instance, they cite “expertise in the field…[and] previous record or integrity” as aspects that play a part in the persuasiveness of a speaker’s argument (“A General Summary” 1). Situated ethos is so powerful because “rhetoric is embedded in social situations” (Crowley and Hawhee 162). The dimensions of any rhetorical situation include the attitudinal and situational as well as the interpersonal—whether the audience likes the speaker, the power the speaker holds, and how close the speaker is to the audience (Crowley and Hawhee 162-164).