Tu Quoque Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads

Tu Quoque Fallacy

Tu Quoque Fallacy Definition

The tu quoque fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone attempts to discredit an opponent’s argument by asserting the opponent’s position is inconsistent, hypocritical, or otherwise flawed. This can be seen as a way to deflect responsibility for one’s own actions and discredit the other party without addressing its points.

Tu quoque fallacy is a Latin term for “you also.” It is a logical fallacy to defend oneself by pointing out that one’s opponent has done something wrong too, or even worse than what they are being accused of doing.

Tu quoque is a type of ad hominem fallacy that consists of accusing one’s opponent of the very same argument or crime they are trying to disprove. The tu quoque fallacy is often used when someone makes an accusation against you, and you respond with an accusation about them instead.

Tu Quoque Fallacy Examples

Tu quoque is a Latin term that means “you too.”  The tu quoque fallacy occurs when someone tries to refute an argument by accusing the other person of making the same mistake or having the same beliefs as them.

Tu Quoque Fallacy example in Philosophy

Examples of Tu Quoque Fallacy in Philosophy:

This is often used in debates about politics, religion, and morality.

For example, if someone says that they are not racist because they have black friends, then this would be considered a tu quoque fallacy.

Tu Quoque Real-Life Examples

Tu Quoque Fallacy in Real Life:

A person who is accused of a crime may try to defend themselves by pointing out that other people have committed the same crime.

The tu quoque fallacy can be used in debates, where one participant accuses another of being inconsistent with their arguments.

Tu quoque can also be used as a form of distraction when someone brings up an irrelevant point or argument to distract from the original topic.

An example of this would be if person A accuses person B of being racist, and then person B responds by accusing person A of racism.

Tu Quoque Examples in Media

Examples of Tu Quoque Fallacy in Media: 

The media often criticized President Donald Trump and his administration, but they are also guilty of the tu quoque fallacy.

For example, the New York Times published an opinion article by a former advisor to President Obama that criticized the president for not taking action against Russia in response to their interference with our democracy.

This is just another instance where the media has used this fallacy because it’s hypocritical for them to criticize Trump when they have done something similar.

This is an example of the tu quoque fallacy because it does not refute the original claim.

Tu Quoque Fallacy Examples in Commercial & Advertising

Tu Quoque Fallacy in Commercial &  Advertising: 

It is often used as an argumentative fallacy, where a company tries to deflect criticism by pointing out the critic’s own faults or failings.

For example, an ad might say, “we’re not perfect, but our competitors are just as bad” to try and get people to buy their product.

Another example of tu quoque in advertising would be if a company was criticized for using animal testing and they responded with “so do you.”

It is an example of the Tu quoque fallacy where one argues that the other person’s argument or action is invalid because they have, at some point, done something wrong themselves.

Tu Quoque Fallacy in Politics

Examples of Tu Quoque Fallacy in Politics:

A politician is accused of a crime.  The politician’s supporters say that their opponents committed the same crime in the past, so it should not be considered as a problem.

This fallacy is also known as “Whataboutism.”

Tu Quoque Fallacy examples in Movies

Examples of Deny Tu Quoque Fallacy in Movies:

The tu quoque fallacy is a type of argument that attempts to discredit an opponent by asserting the opponent’s actions are wrong because they have been performed before, or by someone else, in the past. It is often used as a form of ad hominem attack.

A common example of this would be when one person says, “You’re wrong!” and another person responds with, “So what? You’ve done something bad too.”Tu Quoque Examples in Literature

Examples of Den Tu Quoque Fallacy in Literature:

Tu Quoque Examples in News

Examples of Tu Quoque Fallacy in News:

This type of argument has been used in many different contexts over time and across cultures.

For example, if one person argues that all people should be treated equally regardless of age, race, gender identity, or sexual orientation and another person counters with “well, you’re not treating me fairly,” then this would be considered a tu quoque fallacy because it does not address the original point made but instead tries to deflect attention away from it by pointing out flaws in the other person’s behavior.

Related Resources:

• 11 Denying the Antecedent Fallacy Examples

• 9 Affirming the Consequent Fallacy Examples