Logos, ethos and pathos

Logos, ethos and pathos are what we call forms of appeal—rhetorical strategies used to create a favorable reaction to the speakers’ views and arguments. This reaction is achieved by appealing to reason (logos), trust and authority (ethos), or emotions (pathos).

Barack Obama’s inaugural address from 2009 mainly relies on ethos as he makes multiple references to authority (such as the authority of God or of the American constitution) and the trust created by shared values. However, there are also instances of logical arguments and appeals to emotions.

Logos

Barack Obama appeals to reason in the speech whenever he talks about facts related to American society and American foreign policy:

Our nation is at war against a far-reachin...