The Language of Argument

3 2 1

M o r e F a l l a c i e s o f R e l e v a n c e

out­well.­Such­appeals­to­emotion­might­provide­some­reason­to­adopt­their­

plan,­but­these­arguments­can­be­very­misleading­if­it­is­unlikely­that­every-

thing­will­work­out­so­well­and­if­serious­dangers­will­arise­when­something­

goes­wrong.­Thus,­even­when­emotional­reactions­are­relevant­to­some­ex-

tent,­one­must­be­careful­not­to­let­them­cloud­the­other­side­of­the­issue.

For­each­of­the­following­arguments,­indicate­whether­it­is­an­appeal­to­popular­

opinion,­an­appeal­to­tradition,­or­an­appeal­to­emotion.­(The­argument­might­

fit­into­more­than­one­of­these­categories.­If­so,­explain­why.)­Then­determine­

whether­it­is­fallacious,­and­why.

1.­For­centuries­throughout­Europe,­women­were­burned­for­being­witches,­

so­there­must­have­been­lots­of­witches.

2.­There­must­be­life­on­other­planets,­because­most­people­think­there­is.­Just­

read­a­few­tabloids.

3.­Most­people­who­live­in­the­United­States­think­that­it­is­the­greatest­

country­ever,­so­it­must­be.

4.­There­are­more­Buddhists­than­followers­of­any­other­religion,­so­there­

must­be­more­truth­in­Buddhism.

5.­Incest­must­be­immoral,­because­people­all­over­the­world­for­many­

centuries­have­seen­it­as­immoral.

6.­The­Golden­Rule­is­accepted­in­almost­every­system­of­ethics­both­in­the­

past­and­in­the­present,­so­there­is­probably­something­to­it.

7.­Chris­must­not­be­guilty,­because­twelve­jurors,­who­saw­all­the­evidence,­

agreed­on­a­verdict­of­not­guilty.

8.­“Polls­show­an­overwhelming­majority­of­the­American­people­want­a­

lot­less­immigration­or­even­an­immigration­moratorium.­.­.­.­These­are­

persistent­results­over­time.­Most­of­the­people­cannot­be­wrong­all­of­

the­time!”­(from­an­advertisement­placed­by­Federation­for­American­

Immigration­Reform,­Atlantic Monthly [June­1995],­67).

Exercise IV

NOTES

(^1) ­J.­D.­Salinger,­The Catcher in the Rye­(New­York:­Bantam­Books,­1951),­157–58.
(^2) ­Stephen­Colbert,­I Am America (And So Can You!)­(New­York:­Grand­Central­Publishing,­2007),­193.
(^3) ­For­an­entertaining­and­instructive­account­of­this­case,­see­James­Randi,­The Magic of Uri
Geller­(New­York:­Ballantine­Books,­1975).
(^4) ­Both­quotations­are­from­Christopher­Cerf­and­Victor­Navasky,­The Experts Speak­(New­York:­
Pantheon­Books,­1984),­215.­This­work­contains­a­marvelous­collection­of­false­and­sometimes­
just­plain­stupid­things­that­have­been­claimed­by­experts.­One­notable­example­is­the­remark­
made­by­the­Union­general­John­B.­Sedgwick­just­before­being­fatally­shot­in­the­head­by­a­
­Confederate­marksman:­“They­couldn’t­hit­an­elephant­at­this­dist—”­(135).
(^5) ­Stephen­Jay­Gould,­The Mismeasure of Man­(New­York:­Norton,­1981),­235.
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