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Essay / Steve Jobs' Stanford Speech: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos
Table of ContentsIntroductionAnalysis of Steve Jobs' Commencement SpeechPathosEthosLogosConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionSteve Jobs, in his 2005 Stanford commencement speech, uses the concepts of ethos and relies heavily on pathos to communicate to its audience the importance of pursuing a career driven by passion. He builds a strong connection with his listeners by tapping into emotion while simultaneously weaving credibility into three stories that drive such engagement. Jobs remains aware of this community and relates his techniques in a way that resonates and remains relevant with them. This speech was given fourteen years ago, shortly after his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Given this, it seems fitting that he would lead Stanford's commencement of graduation in 2005, with the intention of inspiring students to seek fulfillment within their limited lifespans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. Jobs had a number of reasons for giving this prepared speech here and at that time. Mainly, a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest diseases. This speech probably followed some sort of revelation of a collision with death. Additionally, he had pulled Apple out of a sales rut that same year with numbers much higher than in recent years. The combination of having a brush with death and being successful in business led Jobs to emphasize the importance of passion in work. He saw it as a driving force that he could share. Additionally, he chose to speak at Stanford, a university filled with bright, driven individuals who, like most young people, probably didn't know which of life's countless paths to take. . Jobs recognizes the potential of this group and intends to provide the one thing they lack: leadership. Analysis of Steve Jobs Commencement Speech Pathos One of the two main rhetorical appeals that Steve Jobs uses in his speech is pathos, which has the effect of engaging the audience with the piece through an emotional appeal. Jobs details his past, discussing adoption, dropping out of college, cancer and being fired from Apple. All use emotion and justify his message of pursuing your true passion and trusting that the rest will “fall into place”. Specifically, his story of near-death experience with an illness such as pancreatic cancer elicits sympathy. This, in turn, keeps the target community invested in what they have to say while supporting their argument: that due to the uncertainties of life, it is necessary to do what you love. Jobs knows his audience well. They are young and feel like they have all the time in the world. Sharing her unexpected discovery of cancer touches students emotionally in a way that matters to them. This shows that despite their youth, time passes and people are not always able to enjoy life for as long as they believe. His desire to deliver this speech stems from his passion for a future enlightened by technological advancement and an expansive worldview. At the heart of Jobs' argument is the simple quote "Stay hungry." Stay stupid. Although it is a unique message to convey to his audience, he draws it from another work, The Whole Earth Catalog, which he calls "one of the bibles of his generation." The catalog is filled with essays, articles and photographs culminating in a comprehensive, inspiring and thought-provoking worldview that Jobs saw as the heart of a vision of life that would bringfulfillment for many. The main theme of the catalog is the same one that fuels Jobs, and pathos, or emotion, is the main appeal used to support the central idea of the speech. Ethos While effective use of pathos engages the audience through emotion, ethos establishes credibility. of a speaker with an audience in a given rhetorical situation. Jobs' effectiveness in establishing and maintaining credibility throughout his speech tells listeners what he thinks and proves that he is someone they can trust. Jobs accomplishes this by recognizing the irony inherent in having a college dropout deliver a commencement speech. It treats the audience with respect by telling a story about dropping out of college without demeaning the college application process. The emphasis on his personal idiosyncrasies makes the message relevant to a group of which he is not fully a part. He took courses, such as calligraphy, and was rewarded ten years later when it was an integral part of the Macintosh. His fascination with specific courses motivated him, even if they had little immediate importance in his life. The subsequent application of this learning validates the educational experience as a whole. Moreover, Steve Jobs is not only the founder of Apple, he is also the founder of other companies such as Pixar, the most successful animation company in the world. He is an entrepreneur and innovator who simply did what he loved and unquestionably changed the world forever. In this way, his experiences justify him and the main argument of his speech, proving to the audience that he is someone worth listening to. LogosLogos, the rhetorical appeal that focuses on logic and reasoning, is used sparingly throughout the speech. The use of logos is intentionally limited in this speech for several reasons. One is gender. Typically, a keynote speech aims to inspire and invigorate an audience. However, the facts and reasoning may drown out its main objective and, therefore, it will not be well received. Second, it would significantly lessen the essential emotional impact of the message. In this case, limited logos reinforce the pathos in a way that is ultimately beneficial to Jobs' argument. After all, half of his “stay stupid” call to action would be undermined by reliance on reason and logic. Although the logos are barely used, they are still present when Jobs explains his reason for dropping out: all of his parents' income was going toward education and he "didn't see the value in it." Jobs took advantage of an opportunity in the limited time he had by only attending classes that interested him, further supporting his claim. Conclusion Steve Jobs' speech mainly relies on the concept of pathos with limited use of ethos and logos to effectively convey the idea. message about using your limited time. In the case of pathos, it is the emotional connection a speaker establishes with the audience through their presentation. In his Stanford commencement speech, Steve Jobs does a wonderful job of telling his life through three stories and allowing the audience to connect emotionally to what he is saying. Through this emotional connection, the speaker is able to convey their message more clearly and the audience can appreciate it more deeply. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a custom article essayEven though the ethos is less present, it is used effectively to support the theme 2005.-061505/