What techniques are used to persuade an audience?

Rhetorical appeals are fundamental techniques used to persuade an audience by engaging their emotions, establishing credibility, or utilizing logical reasoning. These appeals are categorized into three primary types: ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos refers to the credibility or ethical character of the speaker, which helps the audience trust the message being conveyed. Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions, aiming to elicit feelings that can sway their opinions or actions. Logos relies on logical arguments and factual evidence to support claims and persuade rational thinkers.

While arguments form the foundation of debates and discussions and persuasive devices can enhance the delivery of a message, it's the strategic use of rhetorical appeals that effectively influences audience perceptions and drives the persuasive intent. Logical fallacies, on the other hand, represent weaknesses in reasoning that can undermine an argument rather than strengthen it. Thus, rhetorical appeals are the most accurate representation of the techniques specifically aimed at persuasion.