The "F-Bomb"
🧠Psych - 122 / 200
Hello,
We are going to learn about The "F-Bomb".
What is it?
The attempt to defend or strengthen an argument by using profane, vulgar, or curse words does nothing to make the argument stronger.
Where does it occur?
Related to this fallacy is the Salacious Fallacy, falsely attracting attention to and thus potential agreement with one's argument by inappropriately sexualizing it, particularly connecting it to some form of sex that is perceived as deviant, perverted, or prohibited
(E.g., Arguing against Bill Clinton's presidential legacy by continuing to wave Monica's Blue Dress, or against Donald Trump's presidency by obsessively highlighting his past boasting about genital groping).
Why do I need to know
Historically, this dangerous fallacy was deeply implicated with the crime of lynching, in which false, racist accusations against a Black or minority victim were almost always salacious in nature, and the sensation involved was successfully used to whip up public emotion to a murderous pitch.
References & Studies: -
http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl1311/fallacies.htm#:~:text=%20%20%201%20The%20A%20Priori%20Argument,of%20attempting%20to%20refute%20an%20argument...%20More%20
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