Pathos Theme Analysis

The second important form of persuasion that Heinrichs discusses in Thank You for Arguing is pathos, the ancient Greek word for an argument based on emotion. Emotion is perhaps the most powerful, and most disrespected, form of persuasion: most of the time, to characterize an argument as a purely emotional appeal is to criticize that argument. But human beings are emotional creatures, so no book on rhetoric would be complete without a thorough analysis of how emotions can convince people to make decisions, and how rhetoricians can train themselves to both make emotional appeals and resist these appeals.

Over the course of the book, Heinrichs discusses many different human emotions, and the kinds of emotional appeals that correspond to each one of them. He agrees with the great rhetoricians of the ancient world that humor is probably the most powerful kind of emotional appeal, since laughter is involuntary. Even if humor is the most powerful emotional appeal, however, it’s not always the most effective. Often, appeals to an audience’s anger, patriotism, or desire to “fit in” prove more successful in compelling a group to actually do something. For example, Heinrichs discusses the ways that skilled rhetoricians can manipulate a crowd into becoming angry with a specific figure, especially if the rhetorician implies that the figure has ignored or belittled the audience’s needs. A skilled rhetorician can also inspire an audience by appealing to people’s desire to go along with the group—a desire that becomes more powerful as the group gets bigger. At the same time as he categorizes different emotional appeals, Heinrichs discusses which media (forms of communication) are best-suited for each kind of emotion. For example, a speech before a big crowd might be a good venue for an appeal to people’s desire to fit in with the group, while an intimate, candle-lit dinner would be the better time and place for a passionate marriage proposal. In all, Heinrichs’s discussion of emotion and emotional appeals highlights a counterintuitive truth: although emotions themselves are involuntary, emotional appeals can be carefully planned and rehearsed for maximum effect.

Appeals to pathos are often criticized for being “cheap” or sappy. But for better or worse, human beings are hard-wired to respond to emotional cues. By studying the rhetorical art of eliciting pathos, then, people can improve their communication skills in a few distinct ways. First, they can learn how to control other people’s emotions—a practice which could easily be considered manipulative (and which, Heinrichs often admits, is inherently manipulative). Second, however, people can learn how to resist cheap emotional appeals, breaking down the steps in an appeal to pathos until the appeal no longer clouds their decision-making so completely. Third, the study of pathos can help people express their emotions in a clear manner, without necessarily sacrificing any sincerity. In this sense, pathos isn’t “cheap” at all—it’s an invaluable, subtle way for people to communicate how they feel.