Appeal to Authority Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads

Appeal to Authority Fallacy

Appeal to authority is a logical fallacy in which people assume that an authority or expert’s statements are correct, not based on the expert’s reasoning, but because of the way the general public perceives them.

It is a logical fallacy in which a speaker attempts to support his or her conclusion by appealing to authority, regardless of whether the inference is sound.

The “authority” may be a person, text, opinion, or other statements from a given field. The problem with this is that it doesn’t validate the truth or accuracy of the information.

It is used to describe the fallacy of relying on the opinion of authority for evidence, even though the authority is not an expert on the topic you are discussing. This is often done to give the false appearance of having evidence to support an argument.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy Examples

An Appeal to Authority Fallacy is when an argument is made by citing someone to support the argument even when that person’s expertise is not relevant to the topic.

An Appeal to Authority Fallacy is a weak argument because the person being cited as an authority does not have the necessary knowledge or expertise in the field.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy Examples in Philosophy

Examples of Authority Fallacy Fallacy in Philosophy:

This fallacy is one when an individual uses an authority figure to back up their claim.

For example, if a person used a scientist to back up their statement, this would constitute an Appeal to Authority fallacy.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy Real Life Examples

Examples of Authority Fallacy Fallacy in Real Life:

Appealing to Authority has been a persuasive tactic since the early days of man and the written word. One of the simplest examples is the rhetorical question,

“Do you know who I am?”

If the person asking the question is someone the audience is familiar with, the question often forces the audience to consider their reputation as an authority.

Unfortunately, this strategy is not always effective. There are many reasons why a person’s authority may not be accepted as legitimate.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy Examples in Media

Examples of Authority Fallacy Fallacy in Media:

This fallacy happens when someone makes a claim and they provide an argument by citing an authority that supports the person’s argument that is irrelevant to the argument. This fallacy is often seen in the media when someone provides a claim but offers no evidence to support the claim.

 Incorrect example: The article in the New York Times says that the legislation is bad for us.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy Examples in Advertising

Appeal to Authority Fallacy Examples Some of the most common fallacies to watch out for in your arguments are those that revolve around an appeal to authority.

This fallacy entails using an individual’s authority to sway the argument in your favor, even if the individual is not an expert in the field. A common example of this fallacy is when an individual cites his relationship with a famous authority figure to support his statements.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy Examples in Politics

Examples of Authority Fallacy Fallacy in Politics:

The Appeal to Authority Fallacy is when an individual uses a statement from a seemingly credible source without any supporting evidence. These tactics are often used to appeal to the readers’ emotions, who are more likely to follow the opinion of credible authority.

These tactics can be used on both Republicans and Democrats in order to sound more convincing, and an individual’s perspective should be based on the evidence given.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy in Movies

Examples of Authority Fallacy in Movies: 

For example, if you’re trying to convince someone that they should watch a movie and you say, “The director said this was one of their best films,” then you are using the authority fallacy because even though they may have been involved with making the film, they might not know what makes it good.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy in Literature

Examples of Authority Fallacy in Literature:

In literature, this can be seen in the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, where the pigs assume that just because they have more power and intelligence than the other animals on the farm, their opinions should always be listened to and followed.

Appeal to Authority Fallacy in News

Example: The news media often uses the authority fallacy to make people feel like they are being told what is true or right.

For example, when a reporter says, “scientists say,” it gives the impression that scientists have reached a consensus on an issue.   But this isn’t always the case- sometimes there are conflicting opinions in science, and experts disagree about certain topics.