8: How Arguments Appeal to Emotion (Pathos) — Read

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Learning Outcomes

Describe the value of emotional appeals in written academic argument
Identify the ways in which a given argument appeals to emotion through word choice, tone, or powerful examples
Assess the likely effectiveness of an emotional appeal for a particular audience
Distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate emotional appeals
Use legitimate emotional appeals to support their own written arguments.

8.1: The Place of Emotion in Argument
Logic and emotion come together to build powerful arguments and infuse them with a sense of purpose.
8.2: Word Choice and Connotation
Writers can help shape readers’ reactions by choosing words with particular emotional associations.
8.3: Powerful Examples
Powerful examples can help readers connect emotionally to the argument’s claims.
8.4: Tone
The overall emotional tenor of an argument is called tone. Identifying and describing the tone can give us insight into the author’s attitude and purpose.
8.5: Varying the Emotions
The tone can vary throughout an argument as the author moves from point to point.
8.6: Fitting the Emotions to the Audience
The success of an emotional appeal depends on how well the author predicts readers’ likely reactions.
8.7: Legitimate and Illegitimate Emotional Appeals
Emotional appeals need to align with logical reasoning to be legitimate.

This page titled 8: How Arguments Appeal to Emotion (Pathos) was last modified on Fri, 12 Jun 2026 02:08:35 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 1.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anna Mills.