![]() Here, “Won’t you think of the children” is not an invitation to think of the disastrous effects the divorce might have on the children. But does this mean that a divorce is unjustified? Nah, not necessarily. No doubt a divorce will be a huge adjustment for the children and may even result in some emotional trauma. “There is no valid reason for divorce,” he shrieks. Say this hypothetical man cries, “Won’t you think of the children” as an argument against a couple getting divorced. Children are the perfect scapegoats for the appeal to emotion fallacy. They work perfectly for the appeal to emotion fallacy. They are also more innocent and more helpless compared to adults. Let’s revisit the middle-aged man crying, “Won’t you think of the children?” This hypothetical man is playing on the fact that children tend to be vulnerable. Example #1 of the appeal to emotion fallacy Let’s look at some examples to understand how it works. Here, emotions are used in place of valid arguments. The appeal to emotion fallacy occurs when someone tries to conclude that their argument is right by playing to emotions. Now, had that somber imagery stood alone, without any mention of the claimed benefits of their “help the poor children of Africa” charity, it would be the perfect example of the appeal to emotion fallacy. It also still the primary imagery I noticed many Americans have when they think of Africa (which is incredibly unfortunate…but I digress). And the saddest facial expressions that made you want to hug them. But instead of sitting around the dinner table, stuffing their faces with plantain, beans, and veggies like I was, they were outside with flies all over their faces. I was too taken aback by the imagery of dark skinned Africans on the screen who looked like they could be my little cousins. I say “something like that” because I don’t remember exactly what she said. And in comes some American woman on the TV saying, “For just a dollar a day, you can feed these African children” or something like that. It also reminds me of those uncomfortable moments during dinner time when the TV would be on. When I think of the appeal to emotion fallacy, my mind immediately goes to the imagery of a middle aged man crying and saying, “Won’t you think of the children?”
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