Ethos
Aristotle wrote that Ethos (Greek for ‘character’) should “Inspire confidence in the writer’s own character-the three, namely,
that induce us to believe a thing apart from any proof of it: good sense, good moral character, and goodwill.” But how does
it address these three things?
Good Sense:
Ethos is often conveyed through tone and style of the message and through the way the writer or speaker refers to differing
views. It can also be affected by the writer’s reputation as it exists independently from the message-his or her expertise in
the field, his or her previous record or integrity, and so forth. The impact of ethos often references the writer’s credibility.
When checking to see if Ethos is conveyed through the writer’s style, it’s much more difficult than if the author is speaking.
We have to internally examine how we perceive the writer to be speaking or discussing the subject. Pay attention to the
kinds of language they use, the number of additional sources they pull from, and how willing they are to address their
opponents.
When checking to see if Ethos is conveyed outside the text, there are a number of background factors to consider, such as:
o EduCation/Degrees/Research
o Employment/J obs
0 Personal Experiences
0 Affiliations (Sexual, Religious, Political, etc.)
Good Moral Character:
This one is a little trickier. After all, what exactly is a good moral character? Morality itself can even be hard to define from
culture to culture, or group to group. In the western world, one source for our concept of morality was the Greeks. The
Greeks formed the basic idea that morality was formed by the absence or presence of the four cardinal virtues: prudence,
justice, restraint, courage. This list expanded over time, including ideas like empathy, loyalty, and honesty as well. These
‘have come to be seen as good qualities in most people.
On the Christian side of things, St. Paul set their theological virtues as faith, hope, and charity (or love, depending on your
translation). These concepts were similarly expanded upon (and combined) with the Greek versions, giving us: chastity,
charity, temperance, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. (With the absence of these being defined as lust, greed,
gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride-the deadly sins.) These elements can be used to examine people who have purported
a Christian background. Should we apply them to non-Christians, though?
So, how do we define a good moral character? The easiest way is to identify the speaker’s background, then attempt examine
or deconstruct their morality through their acts or beliefs. This is made easier when people identify their moral structure. A
‘good moral character’ might be something like “Being a good Republican/Democrat” or “Being a good mother”. The
structure isn’t always the lists I’ve given you, and you should attempt different interpretations based on what groups your
speaker is a member of. How is being a “good Republican/Democrat” or a “good mother” different?
Goodwill:
Does someone believe they are doing the right thing? This is goodwill. However, it can also be tricky. After all, someone
who believes they are doing a good thing might not always actually be doing so.
Consider the Spanish Inquisition: how many priests tortured and murdered people to get them to confess their sins? They
undoubtedly believed they were doing the right thing. So did their supporters. After all, these people were going to be going
to heaven… if they would only confess! Even concepts as simple as “goodwill” can cause problems when trying to dig into
Ethos.