388 17.2 Using PersUasive strategies
charge against him. He is using the red herring technique to divert attention
from the real issue—did he or did he not take the bribe? Consider another red
herring argument from a speech against gun control: The real problem is that
pawnshops that sell guns are controlled by the Mafia.
appeal to mIsplaCeD authorIty When ads use baseball players to en-
dorse automobiles and TV stars to promote a political candidate, airline, or hotel
chain, we are faced with the fallacious appeal to misplaced authority. Although
we have great respect for these people in their own fields, they are no more ex-
pert than we are in the areas they are promoting. As both a public speaker and a
listener, you must recognize what is valid expert testimony and what is not. For
example, a physicist who speaks on the laws of nature or the structure of mat-
ter could reasonably be accepted as an expert. But when the physicist speaks on
politics, the opinion expressed is not that of an expert and is no more significant
than your own. The following examples are appeals to misplaced authority:
Former Congressman Smith endorses the new art museum, so every busi-
ness should get behind it too.
Katie Couric thinks this cookie recipe is the best, so you will like it too.
non sequItur When you argue that a new parking garage should not be
built on campus because the grass has not been mowed on the football field for
three weeks, you are guilty of a non sequitur (Latin for “it does not follow”).
Grass growing on the football field has nothing to do with the parking problem.
Your conclusion simply does not follow from your statement. The following are
examples of non sequitur conclusions:
We should not give students condoms, because TV has such a pervasive
influence on our youth today.
You should endorse me for Congress because I have three children.Quick Check
Avoid These Fallacies
• Causal: assuming a faulty cause-and-effect relationship
• Bandwagon: assuming that because others approve, conclusion must be valid
• Either/Or: Oversimplifying the options to either one thing or the other
• Hasty Generalization: reaching a conclusion without adequate evidence
• Ad Hominem: Critiquing the person rather than the merit of the idea presented
• Red Herring: Using irrelevant information to distract from the real issue
• Appeal to Misplaced Authority: Using the non-expert testimony of someone
who does not have appropriate credentials
• Non Sequitur: Using a conclusion that does not logically follow the information
presented