3 1 8
C H A P T E R 1 5 ■ F a l l a c i e s o f R e l e v a n c e
More Fallacies of Relevance
Questionslikethoseusedtoevaluateappealstoauthoritycanalsobeused
toassesssomeothercommonstylesofreasoningthatareoftenaccusedof
beingfallacious.
Appeals to Popular Opinion
Hereisoneexample:
TheAmericanpeopleareconvincedthat,ifwegetinvolvedinNorthKorea,we
willbestuckthereforalongtime.Soweshouldn’tinvadeinthefirstplace.
Thisargument,ofcourse,dependsonsuppressedpremises.Onone
reconstruction,theargumentisthat,becauseAmericansfeargettingstuck
inNorthKorea,theyopposeAmericaninvolvement,andademocratic
Answerthefivequestionsinthetextabouteachofthefollowingappealsto
authority,andthendecidewhethereachappealtoauthorityislegitimateor
fallacious.
1.Thesurgeongeneralsaysthatsmokingishazardoustoyourhealth,soitis.
2.Thesurgeongeneralsaysthatabortionisimmoral,soitis.
3.MichaelJordansaysthatAirJordansneakersarespringier,sotheymust
bespringier.
4.Thismustbeagreatmovie,becausethebillboardsaysthatTime
magazinecalledit“terrific.”
5.MyfriendJoesaysthatthisnewmovieishilarious,soitmustbeworth
watching.
6.BenandJerry’sicecreammustbethebest,becauseFatFredeatsmoreice
creamthananyoneelseIknow,andhesaysthatBenandJerry’sisthebest.
7.Theremustbelifeonotherplanets,becausemanygreatscientistsare
lookingforit,sotheymustthinkitisthere.
8.LeftyLopezmustbethebestpitcheroftheyear,becausehewontheCy
YoungAward(awardedbytheBaseballWritersAssociationtothebest
pitcheroftheyear).
9.VannamustbethemostbeautifulwomaninAmerica,becauseshewon
theMissAmericacontest.
10.Therewere250,000protestersattherally,becauseitsorganizersgavethat
figure.
11.Therewere25,000protestersattherally,becauseitsopponentssaidso.
12.TrueChristiansoughttogiveawayalltheirmoney,becausetheBible
says,“Blessedarethepoor.”
Exercise III
97364_ch15_ptg01_307-322.indd 318 15/11/13 11:04 AM
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