{"id":647,"date":"2017-08-03T17:57:26","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T17:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/olemiss-writing100\/?post_type=chapter&p=647"},"modified":"2025-06-05T23:28:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T23:28:50","slug":"kairos-and-logos","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/olemiss-writing100\/chapter\/kairos-and-logos\/","title":{"raw":"Kairos and Logos","rendered":"Kairos and Logos"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

definition<\/h3>\r\nKairos: a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action; the opportune and decisive moment.\r\n\r\nFrom Ancient Greek: \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2 (kair\u00f3s).\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nKairos is refers to the parts of communication that acknowledge and draw support from the particular setting, time, and place. In other words, Kairos is an important part of appeals to logos because all logical information is contextual. For example, you can not use data from a 1960s study about cancer treatment without contextualizing the time in which the research was completed: it is no longer timely in 2025.\r\n\r\nKairos, as the fourth rhetorical appeal, is almost always best explained in context with the other rhetorical appeals.\r\n\r\nThe appropriateness of information is also related to kairos. Even if information is logical and factually correct, it may not always be timely to present it. You must evaluate the rhetorical situation in order to balance the appeals appropriately, and an important part of the rhetorical situation is the time.\r\n\r\nKairos is the idea of \u201ctiming\u201d or choosing the perfect moment to make an argument or\u00a0 point. It\u2019s about finding the right time and place for an argument so that it resonates best\u00a0 with the audience. Kairos is often combined with the other appeals\u2014ethos, pathos, and\u00a0 logos\u2014because it considers when and where an argument will be most effective.","rendered":"
\n

definition<\/h3>\n

Kairos: a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action; the opportune and decisive moment.<\/p>\n

From Ancient Greek: \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03cc\u03c2 (kair\u00f3s).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kairos is refers to the parts of communication that acknowledge and draw support from the particular setting, time, and place. In other words, Kairos is an important part of appeals to logos because all logical information is contextual. For example, you can not use data from a 1960s study about cancer treatment without contextualizing the time in which the research was completed: it is no longer timely in 2025.<\/p>\n

Kairos, as the fourth rhetorical appeal, is almost always best explained in context with the other rhetorical appeals.<\/p>\n

The appropriateness of information is also related to kairos. Even if information is logical and factually correct, it may not always be timely to present it. You must evaluate the rhetorical situation in order to balance the appeals appropriately, and an important part of the rhetorical situation is the time.<\/p>\n

Kairos is the idea of \u201ctiming\u201d or choosing the perfect moment to make an argument or\u00a0 point. It\u2019s about finding the right time and place for an argument so that it resonates best\u00a0 with the audience. Kairos is often combined with the other appeals\u2014ethos, pathos, and\u00a0 logos\u2014because it considers when and where an argument will be most effective.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>