The Appeal to Force Fallacy

This text explores the appeal to force fallacy, an informal fallacy of irrelevant evidence, in which coercion or threats are used as reasons to persuade someone to accept a belief. Using an important historical example, it illustrates how force can be fallaciously substituted for evidence. The text also offers strategies to help learners recognize and resist such fallacies by focusing on evidence-based reasoning rather than the fear of consequences.

Topics

  • scientific reasoning
  • reasoning
  • high school
  • appeal to force
  • appeal to force fallacy
  • coercion
  • compulsion
  • evidence
  • fallacious argument
  • fallacy
  • fallacy of irrelevant evidence
  • force
  • good reasoning
  • informal fallacy
  • protective steps
  • threat