Running head: ETHOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTED

SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA

Ethos, Pathos and Logos of Physician Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia:

YouTube Video Rhetorical Analysis
Abraham Gandarilla
University of Texas at El Paso

ETHOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA

Physician assisted suicide/Euthanasia has been a subject of constant debate for a long
period of time. There are many videos on the topic, but many of them are biased and thus are
lacking in the ethos appeal. The video that will be elaborated on these appeals is titled
Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide FAQ. The YouTube video was published by
Advocate Life and Education Services and it serves to explain the concept of physician assisted
suicide and euthanasia. The video appeals to the audience using multiple literary techniques such
as ethos, pathos, and logos. All three approaches will be rhetorically analyzed, highlighting both
the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
The intended audience that the video is trying to reach out to is primarily, the people who
have ever considered or wondered about whether or not the idea of physician assisted suicide is
acceptable. The makers of the video want the audience to be informed as much as possible on the
subject so said people can make the right choice. Another audience could be the friends of these
people because maybe the first party does not want to be informed by a video. The purpose for
this audience is to inform those people that are struggling with making this literally life-altering
decision. The time that the audience spends with the information may only be for a short while if
they are watching the video to simply become informed. However, if they are watching it
because they or a family member are going through this situation, they will keep the information
with them for a long time because there may be a time in which they will have to use it. The
language that is used to present the information is highly informal, yet informational at the same
time. The video needs to have the speaker speak in this fashion in order to get the information
passed to as many people as possible. It is appropriate to the audience as well as to the purpose
because the speaker makes it easier for people to follow what she is saying without necessarily

ETHOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA

forming a biased opinion of the organization itself. There are some words that appeared
frequently throughout the video such as suicide and help. These words are appropriate for
the audience because they are basically the both sides of the debate; Do I help him commit
suicide? Or, should I help him? The three literary appeals are also used constantly in the video. \
Ethos was very common throughout the video and is one of the most effective out of the
three. First off, the video poses a question at the beginning of the video to let the viewer form an
opinion of his own before the topic is explained. This helps the viewer gain respect for the maker
of the video because the maker of the video has respect for the viewers opinion. The video then
exhibits multiple forms of credibility because it is sponsored by an actual organization that
focuses on touchy subjects like this one rather than just an individual rambling on and on about
their own opinion. Both sides of the debate are also acknowledged because if only one side of it
was, then the video would come off as biased because it is only letting the viewer in on one side
of the story. For example, they mention why some people may believe physician assisted suicide
is justified and they respect their beliefs and do not shut them down. Instead, ethos is put into
play by developing a counter argument rather than a belittlement of the other side of the debate.
The video supports and makes arguments for the organizations beliefs on physician assisted
suicide rather than attacking the other side. This is a very good technique to use in writing as
well because it will gain the writer credibility. Ethos is also used when the organization chose the
actual speaker for the video. The speakers voice has a very friendly and approachable tone,
which makes the viewer of the video wanting to learn more about the subject at hand because
they feel comfortable listening to the subject. The speaker is not blasting the opinion of the
organization into the viewers ears and she knows what she is talking about because the
information presented has a nice flow and is easy to follow along. However, there are some

ETHOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA

weaknesses to the ethos approach when it comes to the video. The first is that the arguments are
not as supported as they could have been. For example, quotes from professionals on the topic
could have been used or maybe snippets of talks about the topic could have been integrated into
the video. There are also no anecdotes or success stories that are presented which do not
necessarily hurt the argument, but take away from the strength of it.
Pathos is one of the most popular literary techniques to use because every human being
has emotions. That being said, the goal of pathos is to appeal to people through the use of
manipulating emotions through various ways. This video uses pathos in multiple ways such as
through song, pictures, color, and scenarios. The song that is constantly playing in the
background is a soothing piano melody along with the use of chimes. The purpose of this is to
basically keep the viewers attention on the video while also picking at empathy. The producers
of the video want the viewers to feel something. The music helps greatly in accomplishing this.
The viewers attention towards the video is also kept through the use of colorful symbols.
Symbols such as the green circle with a word inside typically mean that the word is favorable
and we should observe whatever is inside of it. The producers put words that support their
opinion inside these circles in order to make the viewer follow the opinion without even telling
them to. Humans have the tendency to try to be part of the big picture and want to follow other
people. The words in the green circle make the viewer want to follow the speakers ideas.
Another pathos example that is used in the video is the drawings. It makes it easier for people to
understand a concept and really feel for it if there is a face to it. The viewer identifies with the
faces on the drawings. If the faces are happy, they feel happiness themselves and if the faces are
frowning, they tend to feel slight sadness or anger even if for a brief moment. Pathos is also
present though the use of different scenarios that are shown to the viewer of the video. The

ETHOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA

purpose of doing this is getting the viewer of the video to emphasize with at least one of the
scenarios in order for them to fully understand the topic at hand. A person is not going to know
what a situation is truly like unless they are given examples in which they can identify to.
Information is best transferred though the use of relatability on the subject at hand.
Logos is the next literary approach that is used in the video. This approach focuses on
how well a subject matter is organized and supported. Logos in this video, in short, is on the
weak side. However, it does have some strong points. For example, the point that the video is
focusing on is consistent throughout the video. The speaker never rambles on and on about
different things that do not relate to the topic. Instead, she is quick and to the point, as seeing the
video is only a couple of minutes long. Another strong point is that the video argues for the
opinion of the producers rather than attacking the other side of the debate. This, in turn, removes
the bias that the video might initially hint at. Even though there is some use of logos presented in
the video, there is not enough and the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to this approach.
First off, there is no real evidence to support the claims that the speaker is making because there
are no quotes from any professional organizations to support the claims. Second, there are no
statistics or graphs or graphs or polls to show the viewer that the opinion that the producers are
trying to exhibit is supported. In short, more logos is needed in order to effectively get the point
across to the viewer about physician assisted suicide.
Some finals words on the video come as follows. The video is very strong when it comes
to the usage of ethos and pathos. However, in order to get the message fully executed, there
needed to be more usage of logos. In short, the video was effective in the majority of areas, but it
was not as influential as it could have been. The video does add information as well as different
angles in which to approach the topic of physician assisted suicide. If it was longer, perhaps

ETHOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA

more information about the topic could be provided and there will have to be more usage of
logos in the supporting of the arguments. But, in the long run, this paper is very supportive of the
topic at hand.

ETHOS, PATHOS, AND LOGOS OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE/EUTHANASIA

Works Cited
Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide FAQ. (2014, November 25). Retrieved June 10, 2015.