Triangle gets a Halo - Kairos

Triangle gets a Halo - Kairos

It seems as if the importance of kairos as an essential element of an argument is significantly downplayed by Ramage, Bean, and Johnson. From my perspective, as a student, the timing of an argument seems just as important as the logical, ethical, and emotional appeals. The entire Writing Arguments text is about persuasion and the various concepts needed to make effective arguments. Kairos makes a difference, although it’s only discussed in brief.   

            In marketing (consumer persuasion), the creators of commercial advertisements often use kairos as their primary persuasive appeal. Some common verbiage like: Act Now; For One Day Only; Don’t Miss It; and For a Limited Time Only, attempt to make the consumer think he/she will miss out on this “once in a lifetime opportunity”. And, how many times does a furniture store go out of business in a year?

            Timing is everything, but kairos is opportunity (Ramage 116). The rhetorical triangle  contains three contextually related points; message, writer, and audience (Ramage 62). Each of these points is personified through the use of logos, ethos, and pathos. While these are separate concepts, when applied correctly they connect and give an argument a state of validity and flow. Kairos brings it all together BECAUSE it can be applied to each of the three concepts creating a halo around the triangle. Who wouldn’t trust an angel?   

Works Cited:

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A      Rhetoric with   Readings. 8^th Ed. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.