Question

What is problematic with appealing to emotion in an argument, and how does this qualify it as a fallacy of relevance?

a) Emotion-based arguments are often unreliable; they qualify as fallacies of relevance as they divert attention from the main issue.
b) Emotion-based arguments manipulate the audience's feelings; they qualify as fallacies of relevance as they introduce irrelevant points.
c) Emotion-based arguments lack logical reasoning; they qualify as fallacies of relevance as they distract from the central argument.
d) Emotion-based arguments appeal to rationality; they qualify as fallacies of relevance as they ignore the emotional aspect of an argument.

Answer 1

Appealing to emotion in an argument is problematic as it manipulates feelings and diverts attention from factual evidence, making it a fallacy of relevance. Fallacies of unwarranted assumption are arguments that presuppose something without proper justification, often leading to misleading conclusions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Fallacies of Relevance and Appeal to Emotion

The primary problem with appealing to emotion in an argument is that it manipulates the audience's feelings rather than presenting logical evidence. Such emotional appeals are fallacious because they divert the audience's attention from the actual issue at hand, relying on feelings rather than solid evidence. This qualifies as a fallacy of relevance because the appeal to emotions introduces points that are irrelevant to the central argument, thus distracting from a logical assessment of its merits.

An example of a fallacy of relevance is when a politician leverages fear to sway public opinion on a policy without presenting concrete data to support why the policy is beneficial. Similarly, calling into question a person's character to discredit their argument is a fallacy of relevance since the character trait is irrelevant to the logic of the argument.

Fallacies of unwarranted assumption occur when an argument presupposes something as evidence without proper justification. For instance, saying "Anyone who cares about the environment drives an electric car" assumes that driving an electric car is the only way to demonstrate care for the environment, not considering other forms of eco-friendly behavior. This assumption is unwarranted without further evidence.