An appeal to false authority (or argument from false authority) is
a fallacious argument that relies on the statements of a false authority figure
, who is framed as a credible authority on the topic being discussed.
a
type of informal fallacy or a persuasive technique in which it is assumed that the opinions of a recognized expert in one area should be heeded in another area
. For example, Mr. X should know how to deal with government deficits because he is a successful businessman. Also called expert fallacy.
Examples of Appeal to Authority: 1.
A commercial claims that a specific brand of cereal is the best way to start the day because athlete Michael Jordan says that it is what he eats every day for breakfast
. 2.
argumentum ad verecundiam. (also known as: argument from authority, ipse dixit) Description:
Insisting that a claim is true simply because a valid authority or expert on the issue said it was true
, without any other supporting evidence offered.
Summary. This chapter deals with one of the common fallacies in Western philosophy, inappropriate appeal to authority (IAA). … At its core, it is a
fallacy that assumes that because someone is an authority, we should listen to that person
. The problem with IAA is that it ignores content in favor of credentials and power.
What are the 3 types of appeals?
Aristotle postulated three argumentative appeals:
logical, ethical, and emotional
. Strong arguments have a balance of all of three, though logical (logos) is essential for a strong, valid argument. Appeals, however, can also be misused, creating arguments that are not credible.
Thus, the way to differentiate between a legitimate and a fallacious appeal to authority is by
evaluating the nature and strength of who is giving the testimony
. Obviously, the best way to avoid making the fallacy is to avoid relying upon testimony as much as possible, and instead to rely upon original facts and data.
Appeals to authority are
always fallacious
. Any argument that tries to persuade exclusively by making the audience feel sorry for someone is a fallacious appeal to pity. … An argument against the person always has a false conclusion.
What is an example of non sequitur?
A non sequitur is
a conclusion or reply that doesn’t follow logically from the previous statement
. You’ve probably heard an example of a non sequitur before, therefore bunny rabbits are way cuter than chipmunks. Non sequiturs are often used for comedic effect in movies, novels, and TV shows.
Unqualified authority is
someone using someone else who “Cannot be considered an authority” on a subject
but they appeal to the person as if their opinion is from knowledge of a subject.
This fallacy often involves appealing to good authorities outside of their area of expertise (e.g., citing a famous scientist to support a claim about the best artist of the 20th century). For example, Linus Pauling, who won two Nobel Prizes (one for chemistry, the other for peace), had no expertise in
medicine
.
What is an example of appeal to pity?
Description: The argument attempts to persuade by provoking irrelevant feelings of sympathy. Examples: “
You should not find the defendant guilty of murder, since it would break his poor mother’s heart to see him sent to jail.”
What is an example of appeal to emotion?
One example of appeal to emotion would be:
Daughter
: “Mom, I’m too full, I can’t eat anymore.” Mother: “You have to eat everything on your plate; think of all the children in Africa who are starving every day.”
The fallacy of appealing to authority is called
argumentum ad verecundiam, argument to veneration (respect)
. A more blatant example is: Professor Stark says 1+1=3. Professor Stark has a Ph.
Why is anecdotal a fallacy?
A person falls prey to the anecdotal fallacy when they choose to believe the “evidence” of an anecdote or a few anecdotes over a larger pool of scientifically valid evidence. The anecdotal fallacy occurs
because our brains are fundamentally lazy
. Given a choice, the brain prefers to do less work rather than more.
What happens when you lose an appeal?
Option 2) Petition for Review by Supreme Court: While not as common, if you lose your appeal, you do have
the option to challenge the decision in hopes
of taking your case to the Supreme Court.
