Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Melissa White
RHETORICAL APPEALS ANALYSIS 2
Introduction
Overpopulation is a prominent issue today, in both the animal kingdom and the human
race. Through various studies, research, and observational methods, it has been concluded that
overpopulation in any species is detrimental to their resource supply, immunity, and overall
survival. In Marshall Marcus Connecting the Dots between Species Extinction, Overpopulation,
and the Use of Resources (2016), he touches on the natural consequences of overpopulation. In
order to educate the audience and present an argument, the author must address three rhetorical
appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. The purpose of this paper is to identify ethos, pathos, and logos
in this article and analyze how the author exhibits rhetorical appeals.
The author argues that overpopulation is detrimental to all life on the planet, and that
humans are primarily to blame for the extinction of many species. Mass extinction is happening
all around us and shows no sign of declining if populations continue to rise. He argues that
biological diversity is crucial to our survival as it provides us raw materials to support our
economies, breaks down our waste, prevents erosion, and protects us from UV rays. Simply put,
Losing that diversity will reduce the earths carrying capacity to support Homo Sapiens
(Marcus, 2016, p. 28). The only way to reduce overpopulation and the negative effects it poses
is to control the birth rate and attempt to decrease our resource consumption rate.
Discussion
Marcus does not only appeal to a scholarly audience, but he uses language that can be
understood by a wide variety of readers. To make it relatable, Marcus suggests that, If we in the
U.S. take as a priority slowing and then stopping mass species extinction here and world-wide,
and accept that our increasing populations and habits of consumption are the main sources of the
problem, then the U.S. as a nation has a marvelous opportunity before it (Marcus, 2016, p. 31).
RHETORICAL APPEALS ANALYSIS 3
In addition, he suggests that we educate our citizens from an elementary age about the issues of
overpopulation, overconsumption, and the consequences each pose to future generations and
existing species.
may be rampant, it contributes to the permanent elimination of other living organisms that we
may or may not know exist. He stresses the importance biological diversity to our economies,
food supply, atmospheric protection, and the breakdown of wastes. That said, Scientists already
have preliminary data to show the connection between the world-wide increase in human
population and species extinction (Marcus, 2016, pg. 29). It is suggested that the only way to
reduce, or possibly even eliminate, the issue is to control population growth and be more mindful
Marcus is effective when appealing to ethos. His article was published in Torch
Magazine, and it was mentioned that his paper was presented to the Richmond Torch Club on
April 1, 2014. Marcus earned a B.S. in chemistry at Memphis State College following two years
of oil exploration in Brazil, and afterwards an M.S. in chemistry from the University of
Kentucky (Marcus, 2016, p. 28). This article is a peer-reviewed academic journal, which is
indicates that it is a reliable, reputable, and scholarly source. His consistency and objectivity also
response. He presents factual evidence for his argument, but poses thought provoking questions
that could influence ones emotions. Marcus posed the question, What advantage does more
than doubling the population of the world from 3 billion in 1960 to over 7 billion in 2014 offer to
RHETORICAL APPEALS ANALYSIS 4
the hope for avoiding depletion of resources, improving the quality of human life world-wide
and protecting the planets biodiversity? (Marcus, 2016, p. 30). When answering the question,
one may feel concern, fear, sadness, urgency, or maybe even all of the above. Though it does not
appear to be emotionally stimulating at the surface, it causes one to look within themselves and
evidence from multiple sources and arguing each point logically. Marcus (2016) uses India as an
example, referencing their declining birth rate and increased education. Not only that, they have
also experienced an increase in crop yields and upward movement into the middle class. Marcus
states that, Unfortunately, that example will fail as Indias biodiversity is destroyed. A growing
middle class is the tip-off: with the upward economic mobility of millions of Indians, there will
be the accompanying growth of consumption (Marcus, 2016, p. 31). In other words, there will
be other species that suffer as a result and face extinction due to the increase in consumption
rates. He also suggests that, There is a direct route to slowing population growth, but in many
countries it is a very difficult route to establish. That route involves the four common methods
used to control overpopulation around the world: contraceptives, abortion, voluntary tubal
ligation, and voluntary vasectomy (Marcus, 2016, p. 31). In simple terms, these avenues may
not be viable options as they can be too difficult, if not illegal, to obtain. Ultimately, though
population control is a major factor in the preservation of our planet, our amount of resource
Conclusion
In conclusion, Marcus effectively uses rhetorical appeals. With the use of ethos, pathos,
and logos, he has created a clinical and objective article to address the issue of overpopulation in
RHETORICAL APPEALS ANALYSIS 5
our world. The author appeals to ethos by establishing his credibility through previous
experiences and education, pathos by effectively balancing the presentation of facts while subtly
provoking an emotional response, and logos by constructing an argument through various pieces
RHETORICAL APPEALS ANALYSIS 6
References
Marcus, M. (2016). Connecting the dots between species extinction, overpopulation, and the use