Appeal to Ridicule Mattie Bruton Hannah Weedman

Definition of Fallacy AKA: Appeal to Mockery, The Horse Laugh. Appeal to Ridicule is a fallacy in which ridicule or mockery is substituted for evidence in an “argument.” This line of “reasoning” has the following form: X, which is some form of ridicule is presented (typically directed at the claim). Therefore claim C is false. This sort of “reasoning” is fallacious because mocking a claim does not prove that its is false. “Fallacy: Appeal to Ridicule”. Nizkor.org. The Nizkor Project, n.d. Web. 16 Feb

Picture Example Saidwords. “Appeal to Ridicule” Web comic. Bitstrips.com. Bitstrips Inc, 16 Feb The man in the comic discredits the yellow shirted man’s argument by saying that his beard is crazy. He uses ridicule to make the man seem absurd, and therefore fallaciously suggests that everything he argues is absurd as well.

Universal Example By using the seesaw it is pointing out how absurd it would seem for children who would usually be at play to be soldiers, but yet in some places this is the reality and it strengthens the posters point. Pirtle, Woody, and Chris Dunn. Caution: Children at War Pentagram, New York. Aiga. Aiga Design Archives. Web. 16 Feb

Crucible Example Type Committed Appeal to ridicule Characters Parris, Proctor Quote Parris: “Man! Don’t a minister deserve a house to live in?” Proctor: “To live in, yes. But to ask ownership is like you shall own the meeting house itself; the last meeting I were at you spoke so long on deeds and mortgages I thought it were an auction.” Act 1, Page 181 Argument Explanation Proctor is mocking the way that Parris speaks at his church by comparing it to an auction. By mocking him he is making everything that Parris says seem invalid.

Crucible Example Type Committed Appeal to ridicule Characters Proctor Quote Proctor: “…I tell you true, when I look to heaven and see my money glaring at his elbows-it hurt my prayer, sir, it hurt my prayer. I think, sometimes, the man dreams of cathedrals, not clapboard meetin’ houses.” Act 2, Page 198 Argument Explanation Proctor is making Parris seem as if he is ridiculously materialistic.

Crucible Example Type Committed Appeal to ridicule Characters Giles, Danforth Quote Giles: “This is a hearing; you cannot clap me for contempt of a hearing.” Danforth: “ Oh, it is a proper lawyer! Do you wish me to declare the court in full session here? Or will you give me good reply?” Act 3, Page 214 Argument Explanation Even though Giles is right, when Danforth mocks him it discredits his argument.

Crucible Example Type Committed Appeal to ridicule Characters Parris, Proctor Quote Parris: “Why could there not have been poppets hid where no one ever saw them?” Proctor: (furious) “There might also be a dragon with five legs in my house, but no one has ever seen it.” Act 3, Page 217 Argument Explanation Proctor is making the fact that something unseen does not make it hidden look absurd by mocking Parris.