Fallacies that Appeal to Emotion And other irrelevant conclusions Chapter 6 Part 2

Appeals to Emotion Argument from Outrage Scare Tactics Peer Pressure Fallacy Appeal to Pity Other Appeals to Emotion Apple Polishing Guilt Tripping Appeal to Envy Appeal to Jealousy © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higrguher Education. All rights reserved.2

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Argument from Outrage This appeal-to-emotion fallacy occurs when a speaker or writer “supports” a contention by trying to make us angry rather than by producing a real argument. 3

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Argument from Outrage “Do you think Apple doesn’t know it hires 12 year-old children to make its electronics? You think it isn’t aware it pays them slave wages and has them work in buildings without heat or air conditioning? It knows. Apple products can’t be any good.” 4

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Scare Tactics This occurs when a speaker or writer tries to scare us into accepting an irrelevant conclusion. This includes direct threats (sometimes called “arguments from force”). Example: “Buy Michelin tires. Don’t risk your children’s safety by buying inferior brands.” 5

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Threats Sometimes the Scare Tactic takes the form of a threat. Example: “Buy Michelin tires, or I will see to it you lose your job.” 6

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. ANOTHER SCARE TACTIC Peer Pressure 7

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Peer Pressure Trying to persuade us to do or believe something by playing on our fear of being excluded from the group. Example: “Of course we are winning the war! If you don’t like it here, move to Baghdad, you weirdo!” 8

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Scare Tactics vs Fear Mongering Sometimes the “scare” is used not to get us to accept a specific conclusion, but to agitate or frighten us as a demagogue might. Example of fear mongering: “I have here in my hand a list of two hundred and five people that were known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department.” -Joseph McCarthy 9

Appeal to Pity An appeal-to-emotion fallacy that occurs when a speaker or writer “supports” a contention by playing on our sympathy rather than by producing a real argument. Example: “Jane is the best qualified candidate because she is out of work and desperately needs a job.” © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.10

Apple Polishing This appeal-to-emotion fallacy occurs when a speaker or writer “supports” a contention by trying to flatter us rather than by producing a real argument. Example: "Surely someone as intelligent as you can see that the market system is always better than government regulation." © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.11

Guilt Tripping Guilt Tripping is “supporting” a contention by trying to make us feel guilty rather than by producing a real argument. Example: “How could you not invite Jennifer to your wedding? You really must!” © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.12

Appeal to Envy An appeal-to-emotion fallacy that occurs when a speaker or writer “supports” a contention by trying to make us envious rather than by producing a real argument. Example: “Colin has had every advantage: He was born into a wealthy family, he's very good-looking, and he has always been at the top of his class. In short, he has everything you don't have. If I were you I'd take him off the short list for the job.” © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.13

Appeal to Jealousy An appeal-to-emotion fallacy that occurs when a speaker or writer “supports” a contention by trying to make us jealous rather than by producing a real argument. Example: “Listen, I know how much you're in love with Sarah. That's why I'm telling you that Jack has been hitting on her lately. You ought to know that when you're deciding who should be selected for the internship Jack applied for.” © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.14

Irrelevant Conclusion Two Wrongs make a Right Wishful Thinking Denial Ducking with Irrelevancies © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.15

Irrelevant Conclusion If the previous fallacies don’t quite fit as labels, maybe a suspicious sounding argument employs generic irrelevance. © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.16

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Two Wrongs Make a Right A fallacy that occurs when a speaker or writer thinks that the wrongfulness of a deed is erased by its being a response to another wrongful deed. “Why should I tell them they undercharged me? You think they would say something if they overcharged me?” 17

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. WISHFUL THINKING A fallacy that occurs when we forget that wanting something to be true is irrelevant to whether it is true. 18 “I really really hope I will be the next American Idol. Therefore I’m sure I will be.”

© 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Wishful Thinking Thinking X is true for no better reason than you want it to be true. Denial is a common form. “Teach, I didn’t miss THAT many classes!” 19

Ducking with Irrelevance Sometimes irrelevancies are introduced into a discussion when someone attacks a counterargument to his or her position rather than offering an argument for that position. “People don’t like the president. Granted, polls suggest he is popular, but people are lying because they don’t want anyone to think they are racist.” © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.20

What do all appeals to emotion have in common? They are attempts at persuasion masquerading as arguments.

But, be careful. Not all arguments that excite the emotions are fallacies. When the considerations offered truly support a contention, the argument is not a fallacy. © 2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.22