Appeal to emotion
Appeal to emotion is a logical fallacy wherein the arguer (who is using this fallacy) takes advantage of emotion to prove his or her argument. This is a type of red herring. It encompasses several logical fallacies, including:
- Appeal to fear
- Appeal to flattery
- Appeal to pity
- Appeal to ridicule
- Appeal to spite
- Wishful thinking
Related fallacies
Many other fallacies often, but not necessarily, constitute themselves or overlap an appeal to emotion. These include:
- Ad hominem attacks
- Guilt by association / honor by association
- Misleading vividness
- Pathetic fallacy
- Slippery slope
- Two wrongs make a right (if arguing for revenge)
External links
- About.com: Appeals to emotion index (http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/skepticism/blfaq_fall_emotion.htm)
- Fallacy Files: Emotional appeal (http://www.fallacyfiles.org/emotiona.html)
- Nizkor: Appeal to emotion (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-emotion.html)
- Emotion Theory in Advertising (http://www.ciadvertising.org/student_account/spring_02/adv382j/jen/index.htm)