In Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, the primary example of logos is the title of the literary work itself due to the fact that Paine tries to appeal to the audience. The author needs to elicit the willingness to act because Americans of that time were under British suppression. Paine believed that “a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of Custom” (Conway 67). For Paine, it was common sense that the fight for emancipation should have begun a long time ago, and he tried to do everything to utilize logos to fascinate the audience.
The author’s utilization of ethos follows the successful application of logos at the beginning of the speech. Paine’s credibility is not “induced by motives of pride, party, or resentment to espouse the doctrine of separation and independence” (Conway 92). In a sense, Paine establishes a connection with the target audience and shares “nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense” (Conway 84). Accordingly, the author’s ethos revolves around the fact that he is an unbiased actor who is going to prioritize facts over personal beliefs.
Ultimately, the use of pathos can be highlighted as well because Paine hints at the logical nature of moving past the British domination. He refutes the argument regarding the benefits of being subjugated by stating that one cannot “assert that because a child has thrived upon milk, that it is never to have meat, or that the first twenty years of our lives is to become a precedent for the next twenty” (Conway 84). A variety of emotions that Paine establishes with the help of these words can be deemed overriding and strong enough to entice the audience.
Work Cited
Conway, Moncure. The Writings of Thomas Paine. Knickerbocker Press, 1894, pp. 67-120. Web.