Use Logos or Rational Proofs (^221)
When you’re listening to emotional appeals, ask questions such as these: Why am
I feeling guilty? Is my guilt reasonable? Is this speaker trying to manipulate me through
my feelings? Although he is causing me to feel angry, is anger my primary emotion?
Or could my underlying emotion be fear? Does this challenge to my cherished beliefs
create anxiety that I am masking with anger?^18
Finally, make sure the emotion is used ethically. Generally, it is unethical to appeal
to emotions in an attempt to bypass logic. For example, an appeal to national pride may
create an argument for going to war in a way that clouds more rational arguments against
military involvement. A speaker may use fear to motivate listeners to act for their personal
profit rather than for their own good. (See Ethics in Practice: Demagoguery.)
I
deally, good speakers blend the three artistic proofs; however, the term demagogue
refers to speakers who rely on ethos and pathos more than on logical reasoning.
A study of Huey P. Long, a controversial politician during the Great Depression,
identifies a demagogue as:
[A self-righteous person who claims] to bring order to chaos, thereby
representing strength, resolve, and absolute autonomy... [by placing] much
more emphasis on the feelings inspired by ethos and pathos, and largely at
the expense of logos and reasoned argument.^20
A demagogue’s defining characteristic is “polarizing propaganda that motivates
members of an ingroup to hate and scapegoat some outgroup(s)”^21 by promising a coming
era of stability and control; the result is an “us” and “them” mentality. Demagogues are
often dynamic, dramatic, passionate speakers who inspire devotion among followers.
Some characterize themselves as just a common person fighting for the people,^22 but
others include opportunists who work for their own gain, politicians who inflame passions
to gain or maintain power, and doomsayers who create a heightened sense of crisis in
order to reveal their novel solutions.^23
Was Huey P. Long a demagogue? Critics say yes, but to his credit, he used his persuasive
powers to benefit people in the lower economic classes by providing free textbooks in school,
new buildings and roads, construction of Louisiana State University (including a great foot-
ball team), and the redistribution of wealth.^24 He was assassinated at age 42.
Questions
- Make a list of people you think of as a rabble-rouser or demagogue. (Politicians and
media commentators are commonly in this category.) Tell why you label each person
this way. Would others agree that your label is appropriate? Why or why not? - The word demagogue has negative connotations. Why is demagoguery considered to
be one of the most unethical forms of speaking?
demagogue a polarizing
speaker who appeals to
audiences more on the basis
of emotion and personal
charisma than on reasoned
argumentsethiCs in
praCtiCe DemagogueryMoviestore collection Ltd/Alamy
Demagogues often emerge
during times of instability.
In the Depression era, Huey
P. Long was branded a
“champion of the common
man”^19 by his supporters
and “a demagogue” by his
detractors. This colorful
character became a
fascinating movie subject in
both the 1949 and 2006 films
titled All the King’s Men.Use Logos or Rational Proofs
Logos, often called rational proofs, refers to the verbal arguments you make relating to
your subject. These arguments include analogy, inductive, deductive, and causal reasoning.logos arguments from the
words of the speech itself;
often called rational proofsCopyright 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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