Question

Techniques for Effective Arguments

America is essentially a dream, a dream as yet unfulfilled. It is a dream of a land where men of all races, of all nationalities and of all creeds can live together as brothers. The substance of the dream is expressed in these sublime words, words lifted to cosmic proportions: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness." This is the dream.

—"The American Dream,"
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Which argument technique does King use when he refers to the Declaration of Independence with the line “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal”?

appeal to ethos, or ethics
repetition
appeal to logos, or logic

Answer 1

Appeal to ethos (ethics).

By quoting the Declaration of Independence, King invokes a respected authority and shared moral principles to lend credibility and ethical weight to his argument, rather than using repetition or a strictly logical proof.