The Phantom of Pure Ethos

Abstract:

Ethos is an inherent characteristic of persuasion in commonplace scenarios. The acceptance of everyday communicative practices compels belief and trust in language usage, often without question of simple statements. A more substantial understanding of the perceived ethical quality of language usage will afford a richer view of communicative acts, cultures, politics, and events. Three areas of language usage and appearance determine this ethical quality: communion, occasion, and occurrence. Combined, these areas suggest how the phenomena of language usage, particularly within epideictic rhetoric, is not inherently factual in-itself but projects the illusion that it is such.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 I extend my gratitude to RR reviewers Brian Ray and another anonymous reviewer for their careful consideration of this paper. The comments I received throughout this process were instrumental in shaping the present form of the paper, and I am thankful to work in a field that prioritizes collaborative measures.

2 “The Obscure Object of Rhetoric.” Philosophy and Rhetoric, vol. 54, no. 2, 2021, pp. 128-148.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nathan R. Wagner

Nathan Wagner is a Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of North Georgia, where he teaches courses in writing and rhetoric. He received his B.A. from Auburn University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Georgia State University. His work has been published in Philosophy and Rhetoric, Rhetorica, and Composition Forum. He is a co-author for the reader, Composing in Four Acts, published by Fountainhead Press. He can be reached by email at [email protected].