Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy

What Is Ad Verecundiam Fallacy?

The ad verecundiam fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when an argument relies on the authority of someone who does not have expertise in a certain subject. This type of fallacious reasoning is sometimes referred to as “appeal to authority.”

Ad verecundiam is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone tries to support an argument by referring to the authority of someone who said something similar.

It is an appeal to authority, which means that the argument relies on a person or group of people who are not experts in the field but have some degree of expertise.

This fallacy occurs when someone attempts to support their argument by citing an expert or authorities who are not qualified in the subject matter at hand.

The person using this type of reasoning often does so without providing any evidence that supports his or her assertion and instead relies on a false sense of expertise from their cited source.

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Examples

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Examples in Philosophy

Examples of Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Philosophy:

Ad verecundiam is a fallacy of relevance, meaning that the argument’s conclusion is supported by an irrelevant appeal to authority.  The most common form of this fallacy is when someone cites their own opinion as to if it were fact.

For example: “I think you should buy my new car because I’m the president and I know what’s best.”

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Real-Life Examples

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Real Life:

The argument is based on the authority of a person or organization rather than evidence.  An example of this fallacy would be to say that an article about climate change was written by a scientist, so it must be true.

Other examples:

•  “I’m not going to take your word for it; I’ll ask my doctor.”
• “The American Cancer Society says that smoking is bad for you.”

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Examples in Media

Examples of Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Media: 

The media often cite the American Medical Association as a source of information for medical advice.

However, this may not be a reliable source because it is biased and influenced by pharmaceutical companies.  In fact, many doctors disagree with the AMA’s stance on health care reform.

Related: Appeal to Tradition Fallacy Examples

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Examples in Advertising

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Advertising: 

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Advertising is a fallacy that occurs when someone uses an outside source to support their argument, which they cannot verify themselves.

This fallacy can be seen in advertising where the advertiser cites statistics or reports from experts as evidence for why you should buy their product.

The problem with this type of advertising is that it does not allow the reader to make up their own minds about whether they want to purchase the product because they are being told what to think.

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Politics

Examples of Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Politics:

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Politics:  A speaker or politician cites an authority, such as a famous person or organization, to support his/her position without making any attempt to justify it with other evidence.

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Movies

Examples of Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Movies:

The character of Superman is a good example of an ad verecundiam fallacy because he has been around for over 75 years, and many people believe in him.

When the movie “The Dark Knight” was released, it became one of the most successful movies to date, with critics praising Heath Ledger’s portrayal as the Joker.

In this case, both examples were used to support a claim that may not be true.

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Examples in Literature

Examples of Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in Literature:

The ad verecundiam fallacy can be found in literature when an author uses their own personal experiences and opinions as evidence for something without any supporting facts.

For example, if someone writes a book about how they feel it is wrong to eat meat because they do not like its taste, this would be an example of the ad verecundiam fallacy.

Ad Verecundiam Fallacy Examples in News

Examples of Ad Verecundiam Fallacy in News:

•  The media reports on a new study without mentioning that it was funded by one of their advertisers
• The news article states that there is a “clear and present danger” of an imminent terrorist attack, but the author does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
• A newspaper prints an interview with a politician who has no expertise in the subject they are being interviewed about.

Related: Argumentum Ad Baculum Examples