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The '''appeal to ridicule''', also known as the appeal to mockery and the horse laugh, is a [[logical fallacy|fallacy of relevance]].  It consists of mocking an opposing argument rather than considering it on the merits.  ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and other [[liberal]] [[mainstream media]] commonly use the appeal to ridicule against [[conservative]] ideas.  The appeal to ridicule should not be confused with the ''[[reductio ad absurdum]],'' which is a legitimate form of argument, or with other non-fallacious ways of showing that an opposing position is ridiculous.

The '''appeal to ridicule''', also known as the appeal to mockery and the horse laugh, is a [[logical fallacy|fallacy of relevance]].  It consists of mocking an opposing argument rather than considering it on the merits.  ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and other [[liberal]] [[mainstream media]] commonly use the appeal to ridicule against [[conservative]] ideas.  The appeal to ridicule is similar to the ''[[argumentum ad lapidem]],'' although the latter merely asserts that the argument to be countered is ridiculous.  The appeal to ridicule should not be confused with the ''[[reductio ad absurdum]],'' which is a legitimate form of argument, or with other non-fallacious ways of showing that an opposing position is ridiculous.

==References==

==References==

*[http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-ridicule.html Fallacy: Appeal to Ridicule]

*[http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-ridicule.html Fallacy: Appeal to Ridicule]

[[Category:Logical Fallacies]]

[[Category:Logical Fallacies]]