The big idea
🎭
A correct argument that persuades no one has failed
People are not spreadsheets. Logic alone rarely moves them.
Communication & Argumentation · Lesson 2
Persuasion and Influence
beginner⏱ 17 min · 7 cards
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Balance the Appeal
“"I\u2019ve run the numbers three ways and had them checked; here\u2019s where I\u2019m least certain."”
Which appeal is each line making?
Identify ethos, logos, and pathos.
Aristotle’s three
The appeals
Tap each.
Key term
The line to hold
When is emotional appeal legitimate?
tap to reveal ↻
Proportionate to reality
Honest pathos makes a true stake felt — one real story behind a large number. Manufacturing a feeling the facts do not warrant is where it becomes manipulation.
1963
A speech that balanced all three
"I Have a Dream" is a reasoned case grounded in founding documents (logos), delivered from moral standing aligned with national values (ethos), through unforgettable imagery (pathos).
Remove any one and it weakens — a legal brief, an outpouring, or a sermon. Together they inform, move, and command trust.
Quick check
What are the three parts of an argument, and which is most often omitted?
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