Abstract
Rhetoric, as defined by Aristotle, is persuasion, "the art of finding the arguments." Aristotle described three appeals, methods of persuasion: logos (logic), pathos (emotion), and ethos (ethical persuasion through character). With these three basic appeals, a rhetor designed arguments to persuade an audience. Although students may be familiar with the concepts of logical and emotional appeals, they are less likely to know and understand ethical appeal-the most neglected of the Aristotelian appeals. Today, the term ethical is usually associated with ethics and concepts of right and wrong. For Aristotle, however, ethos was that quality in the rhetor and his discourse that told the audience that he was a good man with the audience's best interest at heart, projected through such qualities as intelligence, good character, and good will. To these qualities, modem rhetoricians have added knowledge and wisdom, honesty and integrity, good judgment, fairness, trustworthiness and responsibility, good intentions, an awareness of the audience and their needs, and a positive attitude toward the audience. This extension of the rhetoric of ethos provides the analytical basis for this study, along with the graphic implications of visual rhetoric. This study recommends a rhetorical foundation for business and technical writing textbooks because, in summary, it has shown that: 1. Definition of rhetoric today has been extended, since many theorists believe that all discourse is persuasive. 2. Definition of rhetoric today now includes visual rhetoric. 3. Discussion of rhetoric per se is absent in the textbooks studied. 4. Definition of ethos today has been extended beyond the classical concept. 5. Discussion of the rhetoric of ethos is absent in the textbooks studied. 6. Discussion of the rhetorical impact of content, visual rhetoric, presentational, and style choices in business and technical writing is absent or limited to superficial audience considerations in the textbooks studied. 7. Discussion of the rhetor and the rhetoric of persona is either absent or limited to superficial considerations of audience and image in the textbooks studied. 8. Presentation of audience and image concerns in the textbooks virtually eliminates all considerations of the rhetor.
Williams, Jerri Lynn (1992). The rhetoric of ethos in business and technical writing textbooks. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -1397359.