argumentation theory Argumentation theory, or argumentation, is the interdisciplinary study of how conclusions can be supported or undermined by premises through logical reasoning. With historical origins in logic, dialectic, and rhetoric, argumentation theory, incl ...

, an (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "appeal to the people") is a fallacious argument which is based on claiming a truth or affirming something is good because the majority thinks so.

Alternative names

Other names for the fallacy include:

Description

' is a type of

informal fallacy Informal fallacies are a type of incorrect argument in natural language. The source of the error is not just due to the ''form'' of the argument, as is the case for formal fallacies, but can also be due to their ''content'' and ''context''. Fall ...

, specifically a

fallacy of relevance An irrelevant conclusion, also known as ''ignoratio elenchi'' () or missing the point, is the informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may or may not be logically valid and sound, but (whose conclusion) fails to address the issue in questi ...

, and is similar to an

argument from authority An argument from authority (''argumentum ab auctoritate''), also called an appeal to authority, or argumentum ad verecundiam, is a form of argument in which the opinion of an authority on a topic is used as evidence to support an argument. Some con ...

(''argumentum ad verecundiam''). It uses an appeal to the beliefs, tastes, or values of a group of people, stating that because a certain opinion or attitude is held by a majority, it is therefore correct. Appeals to popularity are common in commercial advertising that portrays products as desirable because they are used by many people or associated with popular sentiments instead of communicating the merits of the products themselves. The inverse argument, that something that is unpopular must be flawed, is also a form of this fallacy. The fallacy is similar in structure to certain other fallacies that involve a confusion between the 'justification' of a belief and its 'widespread acceptance' by a given group of people. When an argument uses the appeal to the beliefs of a group of experts, it takes on the form of an appeal to authority; if the appeal relates to the beliefs of a group of respected elders or the members of one's community over a long time, then it takes on the form of an

appeal to tradition Appeal to tradition (also known as ''argumentum ad antiquitatem'' or ''argumentum ad antiquitam'', appeal to antiquity, or appeal to common practice) is a claim in which a thesis is deemed correct on the basis of correlation with past or present ...

. One who commits this fallacy may assume that individuals commonly analyze and edit their beliefs and behaviors based on majority opinion. This is often not the case. (See conformity.)

Scholarship

The philosopher Irving Copi defined ' differently from an appeal to popular opinion itself, as an attempt to rouse the "emotions and enthusiasms of the multitude".

Douglas N. Walton Douglas Neil Walton (2 June 1942 – 3 January 2020) was a Canadian academic and author, known for his books and papers on argumentation, logical fallacies and informal logic. He was a Distinguished Research Fellow of the Centre for Research in ...

argues that appeals to popular opinion can be logically valid in some cases, such as in political dialogue within a democracy.

Reversals

In some circumstances, a person may argue that the fact that Y people believe X to be true implies that X is ''false''. This line of thought is closely related to the

appeal to spite An appeal to spite (Latin: ''argumentum ad odium'') is a form of argumentation which attempts to win favor by exploiting feelings of bitterness, spite, or schadenfreude in the audience. Logically fallacious, it attempts to sway the audience emo ...

fallacy given that it invokes a person's contempt for the general populace or something about the general populace to persuade them that most are wrong about X. This ad populum reversal commits the same logical flaw as the original fallacy given that the idea "X is true" is inherently separate from the idea that "Y people believe X": "Y people believe in X as true, purely because Y people believe in it, and not because of any further considerations. Therefore X must be false." While Y people can believe X to be true for fallacious reasons, X might still be true. Their motivations for believing X do not affect whether X is true or false. Y=most people, a given quantity of people, people of a particular demographic. X=a statement that can be true or false. Examples: *"Are you going to be a mindless conformist drone drinking milk and water like everyone else, or will you wake up and drink my product?" *"Everyone likes

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

and that probably means that they didn't have nearly as much talent as <Y band>, which didn't

sell out Sell Out may refer to: * Selling out, the compromising of principles in exchange for success * ''Sell Out'' (Halfcocked album), 1998 *'' $ell Out'', a 1999 album by Pist.On *'' The Who Sell Out'', a 1967 album by the Who * "Sell Out" (Reel Big Fish ...

." *"The

German people , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

today consists of the Auschwitz

generation A generation refers to all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It can also be described as, "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–⁠30 years, during which children are born and gr ...

, with every person in power being guilty in some way. How on earth can we buy the generally held propaganda that the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

is imperialistic and totalitarian? Clearly, it must not be." *"Everyone loves <A actor>. <A actor> must be nowhere near as talented as the devoted and serious

method actor Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to: *Scien ...

s that aren't so popular like <B actor>." In general, the reversal usually goes: ''Most people believe A and B are both true. B is false. Thus, A is false.'' The similar fallacy of

chronological snobbery Chronological snobbery is an argument that the thinking, art, or science of an earlier time is inherently inferior to that of the present, simply by virtue of its temporal priority or the belief that since civilization has advanced in certain areas ...

is not to be confused with the ad populum reversal. Chronological snobbery is the claim that if belief in both X and Y was popularly held in the past and if Y was recently proved to be untrue then X must also be untrue. That line of argument is based on a belief in historical progress and not—like the ad populum reversal is—on whether or not X and/or Y is currently popular.

Notes

References

External links

"Argumentum ad Populum (Appeal to Numbers)"
''ThoughtCo.''
"Bandwagon Fallacy"
Excelsior College Online Writing Lab

Lander University {{Authority control Consensus reality Genetic fallacies Latin logical phrases Propaganda techniques Majority–minority relations