Forms of appeal

Logos and ethos

In the interview “Adam” by Michael Lee Cohen, both Cohen and his interviewee, Adam, use a combination of logos and ethos. They use logos whenever they mention facts and make a logical connection between ideas. Ethos is used whenever they appeal to their authority to make their message more credible. 

Adam uses logos when he explains why he became a banker, logically connecting the financial field with two aspects that most people look for in a job – money and a valuable experience: “ ‘It’s a very lucrative field. It pays very well. I think it’s a very, very good learning experience and very exciting, which are equally important.’ ” (p. 137, ll. 8-10). This shows that his decision was a logical one.

Michael Lee Cohen uses ethos at the beginning, when he e...