Question

...
The Dudeman

Is there an "Appeal to Motive" fallacy?

Recently I've been thinking about an argument style I've been hearing a lot, and it seems fallacious to me but I don't see any named fallacy for it.

I've been calling it the appeal to motive, mainly because that's the best way I know to describe it.

What I usually hear is something to the effect of your argument is flawed or invalid because you have a personal (or professional) motive to prove the argument true.

For example, in my state, I've been seeing a lot of posters recently in opposition to cigarette taxes.

I noticed at the bottom of one of the posters that these ads and this campaign is being funded by Philip Morris USA.

Pretty much, to put the argument in context, somebody would be arguing that you shouldn't trust the ads or trust the arguments made by the ads because Philip Morris has a vested interest, being a tobacco company, to prove that cigarette taxes are bad.

Somehow this kind of argument seems fallacious to me but I don't know for certain. I'd really like to hear somebody's opinion on this.
asked on Tuesday, Mar 28, 2017 11:12:47 PM by The Dudeman

Top Categories Suggested by Community

Comments

Want to get notified of all questions as they are asked? Update your mail preferences and turn on "Instant Notification."

Eat Meat... Or Don't.

Roughly 95% of Americans don’t appear to have an ethical problem with animals being killed for food, yet all of us would have a serious problem with humans being killed for food. What does an animal lack that a human has that justifies killing the animal for food but not the human?

As you start to list properties that the animal lacks to justify eating them, you begin to realize that some humans also lack those properties, yet we don’t eat those humans. Is this logical proof that killing and eating animals for food is immoral? Don’t put away your steak knife just yet.

In Eat Meat… Or Don’t, we examine the moral arguments for and against eating meat with both philosophical and scientific rigor. This book is not about pushing some ideological agenda; it’s ultimately a book about critical thinking.

Get 20% off this book and all Bo's books*. Use the promotion code: websiteusers

* This is for the author's bookstore only. Applies to autographed hardcover, audiobook, and ebook.

Get the Book

Answers

...
Bo Bennett, PhD
0
answered on Wednesday, Mar 29, 2017 06:09:58 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD

Bo Bennett, PhD Suggested These Categories

Comments