Logos: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

In order for JFK to persuade the members of Congress, he needed to present enough evidence and dedication for the government to be willing to fund his plan. He acknowledges that there will be some drawbacks, but knows that Americans have the capability to achieve great success. Doing this allowed for the audience to grasp the idea that it will not be easy, however can be done. JFK clearly states what his intentions are and the goals he must complete in order to achieve them. He says it must be decided as a nation and not just from him or else they won't be successful. Listing the exact funds needed for the project shows that he did explicit research on the topic and knows what it entails. He provides the logistics and reasonings behind his desire to travel to the moon throughout the speech. JFK concludes his speech by reiterating the fact that without the help of the whole nation, the project will be unbearable.

Pathos: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

John F. Kennedy does a very successful job at appealing to the emotions of the audience. In this case, the audience is 435 members of Congress. In his speech, he attempts to appeal to the egos of the members by comparing them to the Soviet Union. JFK continuously refers to the Soviets success in order to motivate and encourage Americans to want further expand their knowledge of space. His confidence and drive makes Americans want to have pride in their nation. Winning the Space Race will enable America to have a lead on the Soviet Union, which will boost their egos. In addition, JFK uses "we" in order show the nation that he is not above them and they all must work together. Imagination is a key idea when thinking about pathos. The whole idea of space is open to curiosities that JFK is confident he can diminish.

Ethos: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960 as the 35th President of the United States. He made history as the first Roman Catholic to run the country. JFK had much extrinsic ethos that helped back him in his run for presidency. From being a military hero, to being a member of Congress and the Senate, JFK won the votes and hearts of Americans. During his Moon Shot speech to Congress, his use the Soviet Union as a motivator gave credibility to his argument that space travel is possible. He solidified his intrinsic ethos by providing specific goals he has for America. His tone during the speech showed his confidence and knowledge regarding the Space Race. JFK attempted to rally the American citizens together and ask Congress for permission to continue their study into space. To do this, he needed to show Congress and the people that he himself was determined and knew that the end goal was feasible. President John F. Kennedy had a very impressive track record that made him a respectable and reliable leader.

Kairos: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

President John F. Kennedy delivered his Moon Shot speech to a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961. Kairos played a role in this speech because it was during a time of great progress. Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, successfully launched into space in 1957 by the Soviet Union. This showed the world that space exploration was possible. President JFK uses Sputnik as motivation for the United States to want to achieve success in their mission. He continuously refers to the recent accomplishment of the Soviets in order to encourage Americans to want to further expand their knowledge of space. JFK believes that this is the time to ask for funds and the support from Congress because the nation has been exposed to some wonders of space and now more than ever will be intrigued.  He concludes the speech with a plea to the nation that they must work together in order to accomplish greatness in this mission.