How Ethical is Kairos?

At first, the ancient Greek notion of Kairos seems incredibly straightforward. Akin to ethos, logos, and pathos, Kairos initially struck me as a simple extension of these methods of persuasion, another aspect to take into consideration when developing rhetoric. However, closer analysis reveals the nuance of the matter.

Take Kairos as an ethical or moral dilemma. Appealing to one’s own credibility, crafting logical arguments, and emphasizing the emotional response to certain topics are all quite aboveboard means of persuasion. Kairos, however, can be seen as their sly cousin. To use Kairos, in my opinion, could be taken as deceptive and conniving.

Utilizing the ideals of Kairos – the cliché “to strike while the iron is hot” – is generally a perfectly valid rhetorical facet to keep in mind when constructing arguments and appeals. To capitalize on the germaneness of a certain issue is perfectly reasonable. However, I contest that fabricating one’s own Kairotic situation is an underhand ploy, one that validates the stereotypical misunderstanding that rhetoric is deceptive.

As students in class, the example blogs provided, and the book itself detailed, one can easily manufacture one’s own Kairos by, for example, buttering up your parent before making a request that would normally fall short. In this context, Kairos is an unnecessary crutch to a poor argument/appeal. If one’s rhetoric requires this sort of artificial Kairos, perhaps it’s meaningful that the argument wasn’t effective enough to succeed without it.

When the situation creates its own Kairos, such as the shootings at Virginia Tech or President Obama’s smoking habit resurfacing around New Years, utilizing Kairos in an invaluable way to seize the fleeting nature of opportunity in the fast-paced world we live in. However, to artificially manufacture Kairos is an underhanded tactic that unethically inflates the effectiveness of one’s rhetoric. When an argument cannot stand on its own and requires groveling to a parent or necessitates support in the form of false Kairos, utilizing the ancient ideal gets more complicated.

While there is value in understanding and exercising Kairos in plenty of rhetorical situation, there are certain complications, be they ethical or otherwise, that one must consider.