Refuting the example 139may be many other instances which support the thesis, and
which are genuine cases.
There is a fine distinction between the quite legitimate activity
of casting doubt on an opponent's evidence, and concentrating
criticism on the example instead of on the thesis which it sup-
ports. If the rejection of the central claim is urged only because a
bad example was used to support it, the fallacy is committed./ can show that there is no truth at all in the allegation that hunting is
cruel to animals. In the case of the Berkshire hunt described to us, what
we were not told was that a post-mortem showed that this particular fox
had died of natural causes. So much for charges of cruelty.
(The argument has less life in it than the fox.)A case of this fallacy occurred in a general election. One party
featured a poster showing a happy family to illustrate the slogan
that life was better with them. Their opponents devoted an
extraordinary amount of time and attention to the actual model
who appeared in the photograph, and to publicizing the fact
that his was not a happy marriage. The effort was presumably
expended in the belief that the public would be less likely to
believe the fact once the example was refuted.
For some reason this fallacy is very prevalent in discussion
about sport. In support of a generalized claim, such as 'Spain
produces the best strikers', an example will be produced. This
seems to be the cue for lengthy and dull evaluation of the merits
of the individual concerned. The assumption throughout the
discussion seems to be that the case for or against the original
general statement will be won or lost with that of the example.
You can set up situations for using this fallacy by prodding
your opponents with a demand for examples. Your heavy scep-
ticism as you respond to their claims with 'such as?' will prompt
them into bringing forward a case in point. Immediately they do