OTHER ‘AD’ ARGUMENTS

Abstract

Over time, the arguments ‘ad’, as we might call them, have become quite a sizable group. As a genre they arose with Locke, but logicians have felt free to add to them, particularly throughout the last two centuries. Hence, Hamblin provides a list that includes the argumenta ad fidem (Faith), superbiam (Pride), odium (Hatred), amicitiam (Friendship), invidiam (Envy), and many more. In this chapter, we will explore four of the more frequently occurring ‘ad’ fallacies, the argumenta ad populum (Popularity), baculum (Force), misericordiam (Pity), and Ignorantiam (Ignorance). Then, in the next chapter, we will consider the argumentum ad verecundiam, now treated as the Appeal to Authority, in more detail.