What is "ethos"

Ethos \E"thos\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ? character. See Ethic.]

1. The character, sentiment, or disposition of a community or people, considered as a natural endowment; the spirit which actuates manners and customs; also, the characteristic tone or genius of an institution or social organization.

2. ([AE]sthetics) The traits in a work of art which express the ideal or typic character -- character as influenced by the ethos (sense 1) of a people -- rather than realistic or emotional situations or individual character in a narrow sense; -- opposed to pathos.

"the 'genius' of a people, characteristic spirit of a time and place," 1851 (Palgrave) from Greek ethos "habitual character and disposition; moral character; habit, custom; an accustomed place," in plural, "manners," from suffixed form of PIE root *s(w)e- third person pronoun and reflexive (see idiom). An important concept in Aristotle (as in "Rhetoric" II xii-xiv).

n. 1 The character or fundamental values of a person, people, culture, or movement. 2 (context rhetoric English) A form of rhetoric in which the writer or speaker invokes their authority, competence or expertise in an attempt to persuade others that their view is correct. 3 (cx aesthetics English) The traits in a work of art which express the ideal or typic character, as influenced by the ethos (character or fundamental values) of a people, rather than realistic or emotional situations or individual character in a narrow sense; opposed to (term pathos English).

n. (anthropology) the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era; "the Greek ethos"

Ethos ( or ) is a Greek word meaning " character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence its hearer's emotions, behaviors, and even morals. Early Greek stories of Orpheus exhibit this idea in a compelling way. The word's use in rhetoric is closely based on the Greek terminology used by Aristotle in his concept of the three artistic proofs.

Ethos generally refers to a culture's guiding ideals.

Ethos may also refer to:

• Ethos Water, a brand of bottled water
• Ethos, a mode of persuasion which appeals to the authority or honesty of a speaker
• Ethos Books, a publisher
• Ethos (film), 2011 documentary film hosted by Woody Harrelson
• Ethos (band), a mid-1970s progressive rock band
• Ethos (operating system), an experimental operating system designed for security, by Jon A. Solworth, University of Illinois at Chicago

Ethos was a biannual magazine published between 2007 and 2014 for Serco Group plc by Sunday Publishing Ltd. The stated aim of Ethos was to "stimulate thought and provoke reaction to the big issues shaping the world of public services" while the publisher's brief was to "position Serco at the forefront of debate about the design and delivery of the UK’s public services". Ethos was published online every month and in print twice a year.

Ethos is a 2011 documentary film directed and written by Pete McGrain and hosted by Woody Harrelson. The main point of the film is to encourage people to engage in ethical consumerism.

The film uses many video interview segments from other films at length, including the Zeitgeist movies and, predominantly, The Corporation.

Hosted by twice Oscar nominated actor and activist Woody Harrelson, Ethos lifts the lid on a Pandora’s box of systemic issues that guarantee failure in almost every aspect of our lives; from the environment to democracy and our own personal liberty: from terrifying conflicts of interests in politics to unregulated corporate power, to a media in the hands of massive conglomerates, and a military industrial complex that virtually owns our representatives. With interviews from some of today’s leading thinkers and source material from the finest documentary film makers of our times Ethos examines and unravels these complex relationships, and offers a solution, a simple but powerful way for you to change this system.