Difference between revisions of "Appeal to ridicule"
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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]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:24, March 14, 2012
The appeal to ridicule, also known as the appeal to mockery and the horse laugh, is a 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.