Ethos

Ethos

Ethos in rhetoric refers to the character of a speaker. Ethos is also the credibility of the speaker, or what authority the speaker has. Ethos is most commonly used in reference to logos and pathos as well. All three pieces form rhetoric.

Marcus Fabius Quintilian used pathos to describe violent emotions, and ethos, to describe calmer emotions.

The dictionary definition of ethos is "The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution."

Greek translation of the word ethos means "charachter."

Bibliography

• Aristotle, A Theory of Civic Discourse On Rhetoric. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.

• Merriam-Webster, "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated . 2-20-2006 <http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/ethos>.

• Merriam-Webster, "Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated . 2-20-2006 <http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/Quintilian>.

• Baldick, Chris. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

• Steele , Felicia. "Rhetoric and Argument: A Review." The College of New Jersey. 2/20/06.