Ethos ἦθος
Ethos is persuasion through the speaker’s character as it appears in the speech. For Aristotle, it rests on three qualities the speaker displays: goodwill (eunoia), practical wisdom (phronesis) and virtue (arete).
Where the word comes from
The Greek word originally means habit or custom. Aristotle keeps that sense: ethos is about presenting oneself in a way that matches how the audience imagines an honest, credible person.
Ethos in Aristotle
Ethos is one of the three artistic means of persuasion, alongside pathos and logos. Crucially, Aristotle says it is created in and through the speech, not brought to it. Mentioning one’s experience in the field, or showing one’s thoughtfulness through well-chosen examples, are attempts to persuade by ethos.
Modern rhetorical theory has criticised this narrow view, pointing out that audiences often hold preconceived notions about a speaker before a word is said.
A common misunderstanding
Ethos is often equated with reputation, titles or authority. For Aristotle, it is what the speech itself makes of the speaker, which is why a well-known name can still lose its ethos in a single badly judged sentence.
Working on how your organisation or your leaders come across? Ethos is where most of my courses begin.
Questions
What is the difference between ethos, pathos and logos?
Ethos persuades through the speaker’s character, pathos through the audience’s emotions, logos through words and arguments. In practice they work together.
Can an organisation have ethos?
Yes. Institutions such as central banks or authorities build or lose credibility through how they speak, which is why their communication is studied rhetorically.
Where does Aristotle discuss ethos?
In the Rhetoric, Book I (1356a) and Book II (1378a), where he names goodwill, practical wisdom and virtue.