Download Fallacies and Appeals

English 9H
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Ethos is an effective persuasive strategy because
when we believe that the speaker does not
intend to do us harm, we are more willing to
listen to what s/he has to say. Ethos involves
credibility.
For example, when a trusted doctor gives you
advice, you may not understand all of the
medical reasoning behind the advice, but you
nonetheless follow the directions because you
believe that the doctor knows what s/he is
talking about. Likewise, when a judge
comments on legal precedent audiences tend to
listen because it is the job of a judge to know the
nature of past legal cases.
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Pathos is related to the words pathetic,
sympathy and empathy.
Whenever you accept an claim based on how
it makes you feel without fully analyzing the
rationale behind the claim, you are acting on
pathos.
They may be any emotions: love, fear,
patriotism, guilt, hate or joy.
Appeals to pathos touch a nerve and compel
people to not only listen, but to also take the
next step and act in the world.
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Logos: The Greek word logos is the basis for
the English word logic.
Logos refers to any attempt to appeal to the
intellect, the general meaning of "logical
argument."
Everyday arguments rely heavily on ethos
and pathos, but academic arguments rely
more on logos. Yes, these arguments will call
upon the writers' credibility and try to touch
the audience's emotions, but there will more
often than not be logical chains of reasoning
supporting all claims.
Fallacies
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Transfer is a propaganda technique that tries
to transfer our good feelings about one thing,
to something else.
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Definition: Making assumptions about a whole group or
range of cases based on a sample that is inadequate (usually
because it is atypical or just too small).
 Stereotypes about people ("frat boys are drunkards,"
"grad students are nerdy," etc.) are a common example of
the principle underlying hasty generalization.
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Example: "My roommate said her philosophy class was hard,
and the one I'm in is hard, too. All philosophy classes must be
hard!"
 Two people's experiences are, in this case, not enough on
which to base a conclusion.
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Name calling occurs often in politics and wartime
scenarios, but hardly ever in advertising.
It is the use of derogatory language or words that
carry a negative connotation when describing an
enemy.
The propaganda attempts to arouse prejudice among
the public by labeling the target something that the
public dislikes.
Often, name calling is employed using sarcasm and
ridicule, and shows up often in political cartoons.
When examining name calling propaganda, we should
attempt to separate our feelings about the name and
our feelings about the actual idea or proposal.
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When an appeal is made to the authority of
the select few, the “in-crowd”.
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"Buy skunk brand perfume, you will stand out
in the crowd.“
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A plain folks argument is one in which the
speaker presents him or herself as an average
Joe — a common person who can understand
and empathize with a listener's concerns.
The most important part of this appeal is the
speaker's portrayal of himself as someone
who has had a similar experience to the
listener, and knows why they may be
skeptical or cautious about accepting the
speaker's point of view.
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When a statistical reason involved is false or
misapplied
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The use of emotionally charged language to
sway opinions.
Similar to an appeal to emotion.
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An appeal to accept the truth of a conclusion
out of pity for the arguer or some third party.
Either the arguer (or someone else) is already
an object of pity, or they will become one if
the conclusion is not accepted.
 If I don’t get at least a B in this course my GPA will
drop below 2.0. If that happens I’ll lose my
scholarship and have to quit school, so I ought to
get a B in this course.
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A claim that an idea should be accepted
because a large number of people favor it or
believe it to be true.
 Everyone wants an iPhone, so should you.
Testimonials are quotations or endorsements, in
or out of context, which attempt to connect a
famous or respectable person with a product or
item.
 Testimonials are very closely connected to the
transfer technique, in that an attempt is made to
connect an agreeable person to another item.
 Testimonials are often used in advertising and
political campaigns.
 When coming across testimonials, the subject
should consider the merits of the item or
proposal independently of the person of
organization giving the testimonial.
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The assumption that because one event
follows another, the first is the cause of the
second.
 Since Governor Smith took office, unemployment
for minorities in the state has decreased by seven
percent. Governor Smith should be applauded for
reducing unemployment among minorities.
A false dilemma asserts that a complex
situation can have only two possible
outcomes and that one of the options is
necessary or preferable.
Either go to college or forget about making
money.
This falsely implies that a college education is
the only pre-requisite for financial success.