Einstein's Letter Evaluation

392 Words2 Pages
In the sixth grade, it is hard for kids to comprehend things because their mind is always somewhere else, such as impressing their peers. In Einstein’s letter he uses adult language and ideas to explain to a sixth grader, who is very impressionable and will listen and take into consideration anything anyone says, if scientists pray or not. Einstein uses too big of words and contradicts himself in his letter. He did not reach his sixth grade audience because of it. In the first part of Einstein’s letter he uses the ethos appeal by stating “Scientific research is based on…,” he uses facts from a professional (himself) that makes the sentence ethos. Einstein also uses logos in the beginning. Einstein says “…scientist will hardly be inclined to believe that events could be influenced by a prayer...,” This is an evaluation from somebody who knows scientists and how they think, therefore it is logos. I could not find a source with the pathos appeal. Pathos is the first appeal used in the second part of the letter. Einstein is trying to please Phylis by telling her that he is not perfect, so there can very well be a God and answered prayers. Ethos is next, Einstein says that “Nature also rests on a sort of faith…”. Einstein is a Nobel Prize winning scientist and he is telling her facts that have been studied and proven, making this statement ethos. The appeal of logos is not present in this paragraph. The last paragraphs appeal is logos. In the third part of his letter Einstein states that “…everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe-, “ he is using logic from personal experience to tell her that some scientists believe in God. During the last part all Einstein does is tell her about things he knows from experience, so the whole paragraph is logos. In the first
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