Have you ever seen a comedian or a celebrity on a talk show and thought “this person is great!”? This is a sign that the person has established ethos. You are persuaded as much by your feelings about the person as you by the point he or she might make. As Aristotle explains, “We believe good men more fully and more readily than others: this is true generally whatever the question is” (Rhetoric, Book I, Part 2)
Ethos is a Greek word meaning “character.” Appeals to ethos shows the speaker or writer as an upstanding or admirable character, one who shares the values of the audience. We are persuaded by our admiration for and identification with the author, as much as by what the person is saying.
Authors use ethos when they:
Demonstrate knowledge or expertise on a topic
Project sincerity and trustworthiness in their discussion
Express a good faith understanding of their opponents
Show that their ideas reflect genuine values and beliefs
Create a sense of identification with the audience
Of course, sometimes authors already have a great degree of stature. But Aristotle is careful to point out that ethos “should be achieved by what the speaker says, not by what people think of his character before he begins to speak” (I, 2). Consider, for example, Franklin Roosevelt’s famous “Fireside Chats.” Although Roosevelt had already won a great deal of popularity in his election campaign, these intimate radio broadcasts did more than anything to confirm his image as an effective, caring leader. Listen to this first Fireside Chat in which Roosevelt explains the current banking crisis and the steps his government has taken to deal with it. Notice that even though you might not follow his explanation of why the banks failed and what needs to happen next, you are not likely to miss the sense that Roosevelt himself understands the crisis, and that he is moving quickly and calmly to make things better. That is the essence of ethos.