They are called rhetorical appeals or modes of persuasion in classical rhetoric, going back to Aristotle’s theory of how speakers convince an audience.

Quick Scoop

  • Ethos = appeal to the speaker’s credibility or character (why you should trust them).
  • Pathos = appeal to the audience’s emotions (making people feel something so they’re moved to agree or act).
  • Logos = appeal to logic and reason (facts, evidence, clear arguments).

Together, when someone asks “what are logos, pathos and ethos called?” the concise answer is:

They are Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals (three modes of persuasion): ethos, pathos, and logos.

Tiny example

In a charity ad:

  • A doctor explaining the health crisis = ethos.
  • Heartbreaking stories and images = pathos.
  • Statistics about how donations help = logos.

TL;DR: Logos, pathos, and ethos are the three rhetorical appeals (modes of persuasion) used to make communication more convincing.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.