Appeal to pity
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(Redirected from Ad misericordiam)
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An appeal to pity (also called argumentum ad misericordiam)[1] is a fallacy in which someone tries to win support for an argument or idea by exploiting their opponent's feelings of pity or guilt. It is a specific kind of appeal to emotion.
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[edit] Examples
- "You must have graded my exam incorrectly. I studied very hard for weeks specifically because I knew my career depended on getting a good grade. If you give me a failing grade I'm ruined!"
- "We Americans must support the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories because of how the Jews suffered at the hands of the Nazis during World War 2."
- "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, look at this miserable man, in a wheelchair, unable to use his legs. Could such a man really be guilty of embezzlement?"
[edit] Analysis
Recognizing an argument as an appeal to pity does not necessarily invalidate the conclusion or the factual assertions. There may be other reasons to accept the invited conclusion, but an appeal to pity is not one of them (see also, argument from fallacy).
