Appeal to ridicule:
Emotional Fallacy
| Definition | Example |
| When ridicule or shame is introduced in an attempt to invalidate the opposing position. | So, since you believe in evolution, you have to believe your grandfather was an ape! Hilarious! |
| Also known as: appeal to mockery / the horse laugh | |
| Notes | |
| Ridicule is a fallacy only when it is used to persuade others to change their position. In the form of satire or in the form of a reductio ad absurdum argument, ridicule can be effectively used to highlight the logical absurdity or weakness of a position. | |
Case Study One
Many 9/11 truthers mocked the notion that mere “arabs with box-cutters” could take over an airplane.
Keep in mind that a fallacious argument does not entail an erroneous position.
But if they were Germans with box-cutters who were trained in hand-to-hand combat, then you might believe the official story? No, you wouldn’t. You would find something else to ridicule because from the start you concluded the official story is a lie, and you’re concerned only with data that seems to support this assumption. Arguments like the “arabs with box-cutters” are cheap and facile, and are the principal currency for 9/11 truth reasoning.