Appeal to emotion

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Appeal to emotion is a potential fallacy which uses the manipulation of the recipient's emotions, rather than valid logic, to win an argument. Also this kind of thinking may be evident in one who lets emotions and/or other subjective considerations influence one's reasoning process. This kind of appeal to emotion is a type of red herring and encompasses several logical fallacies, including:

• Appeal to consequences
• Appeal to fear
• Appeal to flattery
• Appeal to pity
• Appeal to ridicule
• Appeal to spite
• Wishful thinking

Contents 1 Related fallacies 2 Examples 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Related fallacies

Other types of fallacies may also overlap with or constitute an appeal to emotion, including:

• Ad hominem attacks
• Guilt by association
• Misleading vividness
• Slippery slope
• Two wrongs make a right (if arguing for revenge)
• Straw man

[edit] Examples

• "For the children"
• "Support our troops"
• Reductio ad Hitlerum

[edit] See also

• Truthiness

[edit] External links

• About.com: Appeals to emotion index
• Fallacy Files: Emotional appeal
• Nizkor: Appeal to emotion
• Emotion Theory in Advertising

v • d • e Fallacies of relevance General Absurdity • Accident • Ad nauseam • Argument from ignorance • Argument from silence • Argumentum ad populum • Base rate • Compound question • Loaded question • Argument to moderation • Moralistic • Naturalistic • Proof by assertion • Irrelevant conclusion • Special pleading • Straw man • Style over substance • Two wrongs make a right Appeals to emotion Fear • Flattery • Nature • Novelty • Pity • Ridicule • Repugnance • Spite Genetic fallacies Ad hominem (Ad hominem tu quoque) • Appeal to authority • Appeal to motive • Appeal to tradition • Appeal to wealth • Appeal to poverty • Association • Bulverism • Chronological snobbery • Ipse-dixitism • Poisoning the well • Appeal to etymology • Reductio ad Hitlerum • Appeals to intellectual and mental stability or capability Appeals to consequences Appeal to force • Wishful thinking