Invalid and unsound arguments are often used to trick, convince, persuade or confuse people. One place where this happens all the time is in advertising. Let's put the ad above into the form a logical argument.This wig is natural looking.
No one will know your secret.
It is distinctively masculine.
It is comfortable and lightweight.
It fits in your pocket.
It is great for any occasion.
Therefore, you'll love it... so will she!!
Are the premises true? Why or why not? Do they support the conclusion? Why or why not?
The advertiser doesn't really know you will love it. Maybe it will make your head itch. Maybe it will be hard to comb and clean. Most likely, people will be able to tell that it's not real hair.
This advertisement is neither a valid nor sound logical argument. It appeals to emotions. Specifically, older men's feelings and emotions, their fears that they are ugly if they lose their hair, that no one will love them if they are bald.
When someone tries to make an emotional appeal look like a logical argument, they are committing a FALLACY. A fallacy is a kind of error in reasoning. Fallacies should not persuade people, but they often do. Fallacies may be created intentionally (on purpose) in order to deceive other people, or they may happen unintentionally (by accident).
A fallacy is different from a FACTUAL ERROR. A FACTUAL ERROR is being wrong about the facts. A FALLACY is when the premises do not support the truth of the conclusion.
We will talk about several different fallacies, and give examples of them. Some fallacies pop up in certain places, such as advertising, religion, and politics.
