Logós

Logós (logós) is a Greek noun meaning word, speech, discourse, reason, or principle. The term comes from the classical Greek λόγος, and its plural form logoi appears in various philosophical, theological, and linguistic contexts. Etymologically, it is the source of many English words such as logic, logo, and logogram, through the Latin and French adaptations of the Greek root.

In philosophy, logos denotes the rational principle that orders reality. Heraclitus used logos to refer to the universal, intelligible order underlying change. The Stoics identified the logos with cosmic reason active in nature and the human capacity to reason. Later writers and schools extended logos to the realm of argument, discourse, and systemic explanation.

In Christian theology, Logos becomes a central concept: the pre-existent divine Word through which all things were made, and, in the Gospel of John, the Word who became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. This usage elevated logos from a general principle of reason to a personal, revelatory manifestation of God.

In rhetoric, logos is one of Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion, alongside ethos (character) and pathos (emotion). Logos refers to the use of logical arguments, evidence, and rational structure in communication.

Modern usage extends beyond philosophy and theology. The word logo indicates a symbol or emblem that represents a brand or organization, derived from the plural Greek logoi and later shortened in English as logo. The root log- appears in many vocabulary items—logic, logotype, logogram—ultimately tracing back to the Greek concept of logos as word, reason, and principle.