There are indeed some genuine slippery slopes, where an initial decision or action may have both great and inevitable repercussions. In addition, something that looks as if it is a fallacy may turn out not to be on closer examination.įor example, not everything that smacks of slippery slope is fallacious. We need to be critically aware of the techniques of persuasion being used on us, but since we expect advertisements, political speeches, and editorials on public policy or ethical issues to try to sway us emotionally, perhaps only extreme examples deserve to be judged harshly for being fallacious. Since persuasion is ever-present, it is good to be on guard against various hidden persuaders.īut whether a persuasive strategy is considered fallacious may be dependent on context.Įditorials and advertisements-both political and commercial-frequently use such strategies as transfer and appeals to popularity. Once we become familiar with fallacies we may start to see them everywhere. (Also called a stirring symbols fallacy): The communicator distracts the readers or listeners with symbols that are very meaningful to them, with strong associations or connotations.Įxample: This fallacy is referred to in the sentence “That politician always wraps himself in the flag.” Appeal to traditionįallacies can crop up whenever definitions, inferences, and facts are at issue. Making an unsupported or inadequately supported claim that “One thing inevitably leads to another.” This may be considered a fallacy of logos as well as pathos but is placed in this section because it often is used to evoke the emotion of fear.Įxample: “We can’t legalize marijuana if we do, then the next thing you know people will be strung out on heroin.” Appeal to the people Urging audience to follow a course of action because “everyone does it.”Įxample: “Nine out of ten shoppers have switched to Blindingly-Bright-Smile Toothpaste.” Slippery Slope Here are some popular examples.Trying to evoke an emotional reaction that will cause the audience to behave sympathetically even if it means disregarding the issue at hand.Įxample: “I know I missed assignments, but if you fail me, I will lose my financial aid and have to drop out.” Appeal to popularity (bandwagon) Cobbett was accusing the press of intentionally using a fallacy to distract the public.Īuthors frequently use red herrings to confuse and surprise readers, or to create suspense. Cobbett criticized the press for prematurely reporting Napoleon’s defeat, and compared that act to using strong-smelling, smoked red herrings to distract dogs from another scent. All red herrings are examples of irrelevant distractions-not examples of flawed logic.The journalist William Cobbett is credited with originating the term “red herring” in an 1807 story. An informal fallacy means that an argument has a flaw in reasoning rather than logic. Red herrings are examples of informal fallacies, rather than formal fallacies. Red herrings are introduced to divert and deceive readers. Done well, the reader will feel surprised by the truth and will enjoy the misdirection, having learned something useful about the setting or the characters along the way. This technique involves getting the reader to believe a false conclusion about the plot. A red herring can also be a powerful way to engage a reader’s interest, by hinting at explanations that may not be true.
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