Algorithmic Rhetoric: Transformation of the Classical Triadт(Ethos, Pathos, Logos) in the Digital Age

Abstract

The article explores how mechanisms of rhetorical influence are transformed in the context of digital communication mediated by algorithms. The author conceptualizes «algorithmic rhetoric» as a new ontology of influence, realized not through hermeneutic dialogue, but through interface architecture and UX design as technologies of subjectification. The central object of the study is the phenomenon of invisible persuasion (persuasio invisibilis), which operates in a precognitive temporality, replacing authentic freedom of choice with a simulacrum of autonomy. The rhetorical subject no longer articulates discourse, but rather designs the Umwelt – an environment of possible actions. The audience is consequently reduced to algorithmically controlled reactivity. Drawing on a wide range of critical studies (Zuboff, Turkle, Ulmer, Eyman, Noble, Finn), the article reveals an epistemological shift: ethos migrates from the biographical credibility of the speaker to algorithmic precision of prediction; pathos transforms from an affective appeal to an emotional scenography; and logos moves from argumentative logic to the machine-driven calculation of relevance. Summarizing the results, the author substantiates the need for developing critical algorithmic literacy – the ability to recognize and deconstruct invisible mechanisms of influence disguised as convenience, personalization, and «authentic choice». Algorithmic rhetoric emerges not as an apocalyptic threat to classical logos, but as its systemic mutation-quiet, background-effective, and almost imperceptible to reflective consciousness.