In Rhetoric , ''ethos'' is one of the three Modes Of Persuasion (other principles being '' Logos '' and '' Pathos '') discussed by Aristotle in ' Rhetoric ' as a component of argument. At first speakers must establish ''ethos''. On the one hand, this can mean merely "moral competence", but Aristotle broadens this word to encompass expertise and knowledge. He expressedly remarks that ''ethos'' should be achieved only by what the speaker says, not by what people think of his character before he begins to speak. This position is often disputed and other writers on rhetoric state that ''ethos'' is connected to the overall moral character and history of the speaker (cf Isocrates ).
When determining whether a given argument is valid or not, one must question the ''ethos'' the speaker has established. Violations of ethos can entail some of the following:
- The speaker has a direct interest in the outcome of the debate (e.g. a person pleading innocence of a crime);
- The speaker has a Vested Interest or ulterior motive in the outcome of the debate;
- The speaker has no expertise (e.g. a lawyer giving a speech on space flight carries less gravity than an astronaut giving the same speech).
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