Emotional Fallacies

Manipulate you; go against logic and ethics

1. Ad Hominem (“against the man”): Slandering a person; “Claiming that irrelevant personal qualities should be considered reason to qualify or disqualify an individual for a particular office, position, honor or role” (Stanford 61)

· Using President Bush’s dishonesty over his service to our country

· Using Bill Clinton’s infidelity

2. Straw Man: Directing unsubstantiated charges against somebody, especially to cast a shadow over his name even after he is found innocent

3. Bandwagon: Implying that because a majority is doing something, it is justified

· If we allow developing countries to pollute more, we should allow everyone to do so.

· “Everyone else was going 80!”

4. Ad Populum (“Plain Folk”): Appealing to a certain group by acting as if you are one of them.

· Hillary Clinton drinking a beer and taking a shot of whiskey when on the campaign trail.

5. Status Appeal: Appealing to the reader’s desire to be beautiful, powerful, respected

· Jesus selling items in the parlor

· Expensive brand names

6. Scare Tactics: Scaring the reader into action

· Billboard re: a smoker’s lung

· Showing pictures of mangled cars

7. Testimonial/Improper Appeal to Authority: Having a well—known figure support something, even though s/he is not really qualified to talk about it

· Sally Fields and Boniva

· A “Dr.” from TV promoting a drug/treatment

· Martin Sheen’s auto-dial message encouraging people to support certain candidates

8. Glittering Generality: Using phrases that sound good but lack clear definition or substance

· You’re in good hands with Allstate.

· Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.