Ethos, logos, pathos and kairos

Ethos, logos, pathos and kairos are rhetorical devices we may typically associate more with academic writing and critical argument on EAP courses than with business communication; however, while the use of these devices may be more prevalent in essays and academic texts in general, they are certainly of great use in workplace functions such as business emails, meetings, negotiations and presentations.

Ostensibly, these tools are about influencing another person and changing their mind and actions in a positive way based on our own thinking and reasoning. They serve to justify ideas and are essential when a writer or presenter may need to influence the reader or audience. As such, they can be interesting and useful as content in Business English and Business Communication training.

What are ethos, logos, pathos and kairos? Let us look at each of these in turn.

Ethos

Ethos refers to the use of credibility or reputation as part of an argument. The aim of using ethos is to build trust with another. We come across ethos in marketing material talking about customer satisfaction levels and key clients, job interviews when a candidate lists their qualifications or explains accomplishments and in first time meetings with prospective clients. A presenter when introducing themselves is likely to use ethos for the same reasons.

Sales talks requiring the establishment of trust in the presenter, product or company will contain more ethos to establish credibility. In such a case, we will see ethos used alongside logos and pathos to support what is being said.

What is referred to as ethos in English, like all of the concepts we are discussing here, comes from Greek. In Greek the word ethos, ‘ήϑος’, (‘iːθɒs), is used to describe the totality of an individual’s personality traits as well as his/her behaviour, while in plural form, ‘ήϑή’ (‘iːθi), it refers to different forms of social behaviour that underlie a society. In short, ethos is a set of core personal and social values which consistently influence one’s choices and attitudes in all aspects of life including business.

while the use of these devices may be more prevalent in essays and academic texts in general, they are certainly of great use in workplace functions such as business emails, meetings, negotiations and presentations.

Examples of ethos include the following which demonstrate the credibility of the speaker or writer and aim to build trust with the receiver(s):

‘Before I moved into training, I worked in marketing for 20 years with a range of FTSE 100 companies’

‘I was part of the team that produced the first …’

‘I was the youngest person to be appointed to that role in the history of the company’

‘We are the leading supplier of … and have constantly been rated the best for …’

Logos

Logos is about the evidence and data that may be presented in support of an argument. Reporting data such as accounts, market research or results requires, by its nature, logos.

Logos may also call on us to make logical conclusions based on the data. This is frequently used automatically in business presentations when a presenter provides and makes references to numbers provided in the form of tables, graphs, charts and so on with a view to this acting as support for a case they are making. In both emails and meetings, logos takes the form of a logical, coherent, cohesive and justified argument being put forward with some form of evidence. In negotiations, logos is often used when figures such as prices, times and volumes are deployed to provide justification of a proposal or objection.

The word in English has its origins in the Greek word, ‘λόγος’ (‘loγos), which has multiple uses. Its primary etymological meaning focuses on the ability of speech, and it can also refer to the skill of oration. Interestingly, there is also an interrelation between logos and ethos in expressions which emphasize the speaker’s trustworthiness such as, ‘Σου δίνω τον λόγο μου’ (su ‘ðino ton ‘loγo mu) which translates as ‘I give you my word’; or ‘Ο λόγος μου είναι συμβόλαιο’ (ɒ ‘loγos mu ‘iːne sɪm’voleo), which means ‘My word is my bond’. However, in Greek logos is a word more frequently used to describe the reason, hence the logic, ‘λογική’ (loɣɪ’kɪ), behind an action or an argument.

The following are examples of logos in that they provide supporting evidence, data or examples to support a case being made:

‘Two out of three of our projects are delayed and this is why we must …’

‘Happily, we have seen a 25% drop in staff turnover in the past 12 months as a result’

‘Customer complaints about unrecognised transactions have increased by over 1000 in Q1’

‘On this slide, you can see the data from the benchmarking study that supports the assertion that …’

Pathos

Pathos has to do with the levels of emotion and empathy that may be demonstrated in support of a case being made. TED-style talks show a higher level of pathos in the form of emotion and empathy. In presentations, we may see pathos being used in a choice of visuals (photographs that will elicit an emotional response) or in emotive anecdotes and stories.

This originates from the Greek ‘πάθος’ (‘paθos), and its original meaning is related to physical or mental suffering. This is interpreted as a negatively or positively overwhelming emotional state in which one might find oneself. Thus, when referring to a speaker, ‘pathos’ cannot be reduced to the meaning of its equivalent ‘passion’, as it does not only mark the deep knowledge and devotion of the speaker, but also the ability to convey the target emotional state to the audience.

Here, we have some examples of pathos which aim to stimulate some form of emotional response from the audience in a presentation, the participants in a meeting or the reader of an email:

‘To begin with, I would like to tell you a story about …’

‘I love this company and want to see it succeed. Therefore, I recommend that …’

‘Growing up in the worst part of …, I never imagined I would …’

‘The situation has left me feeling frustrated. I would ask you to imagine how you would feel in this situation if you had been told …’

Kairos

Kairos relates to the level of urgency involved in taking a particular action, solving a problem or handling a situation. It may also be suggestive of a sense of opportunity that must be taken advantage of. Recommendations about actions in a volatile, uncertain, complex or ambiguous situation require kairos to stress the urgency of the situation. We might hear kairos used in discussions, sales pitches stressing opportunity, crisis management meetings and numerous other circumstances.

Kairos is from the Greek ‘καιρός’ (ke’ros), and is a word with focus on the concept of time. It can be interpreted as a season, a general period of time, free time, but also an opportunity. In that last sense, kairos focuses on the ability to make appropriate and well-timed decisions according to the particular circumstances.

We can see kairos used here:

‘It is imperative that the company takes action on this now to prevent further losses’

‘We cannot afford to drag our heels on this or will we miss this opportunity’

‘It is an unprecedented crisis that …’

‘Do not miss this fantastic chance to invest in …’

Introducing and training the use of ethos, pathos, logos and kairos in business communication

A classic ‘present, practice, produce’ lesson structure works well for training of ethos, pathos, logos and kairos:

1. Present the concepts of ethos, pathos, logos and kairos and their meanings.

2. Provide a range of examples, preferably single sentences, and ask the training group to identify which statements show ethos, which show pathos, and so on.

3. Have participants either alone or in pairs or small groups create an email or presentation extract that utilises all four ideas. These can be labelled with what is ethos, what is pathos and so on, or the email or presentation extract can be presented and the listeners are asked to identify which of the four concepts is demonstrated.

A deductive approach in which the concepts are deduced from an example paragraph may also be used before the formal mentioning of the terms themselves.

After presenting and practising ethos, pathos, logos and kairos in emails and presentations, you may also set out how you want the participants to make use of these ideas in other business function role plays and simulations such as meetings or negotiations that may form part of their training courses.

Conclusion

Using these four tools are evidence of your ability to think and to lead. They provide support for ideas and make themmuch more difficult for a receiver to dismiss.

There will in many cases be overlap between all four of these devices but different functions and genres require different levels of ethos, logos, pathos and kairos. Effective, influential and impactful business communication uses the right blend of ethos, logos, pathos and kairos to match the purpose and, as such, the relative amounts and order of ethos, logos, pathos and kairos will change from case to case depending on the context and the speaker or writer and their intentions and needs.

As we have seen, ethos, pathos, logos and kairos are strong and impactful rhetorical devices in written communication, discussions and presentations. While not something we immediately associate with Business English or Business Communication, these devices are of great use to writers, participants in meetings and presenters as interpersonal influencing tools to assist the sender of a message in not only getting their ideas across but getting their ideas listened to. Justifying a point to either support an idea or defend yourself is important if the idea is not to be discredited, criticised or put down.

Recommended reading

Gallo, C (2017) Talk Like TED. London: Pan.

Heinrichs, J (2017) Thank You for Arguing. London etc.: Penguin.

Ramage, J D, Bean, J C & Johnson, J (2012) Writing Arguments (ninth edition). Boston etc.: Pearson.