Question

"Sure, the economy is suffering, and people have lost their jobs. But what about people on ventilators? People are dying; this is the real problem."

The above statement is an example of which type of fallacious argument?

Answer 1

Appeal to relative privation

Step-by-step explanation:

The above statement is an example of a fallacious argument known as the "fallacy of relative privation," also known as the "appeal to worse problems" or "appeal to pity." This fallacy occurs when one argues that a problem or issue should be ignored or dismissed because of more severe or significant global problems.

In this case, the speaker is attempting to dismiss the economic suffering and job loss by suggesting that there are more critical problems, such as people on ventilators dying. While it is true that people dying is a severe issue, it does not diminish the importance of addressing other problems that affect people's livelihoods and well-being.

Therefore, the statement uses the fallacy of relative privation by suggesting that one problem is more important than another and should be given priority.