The fallacy occurs when an arguer advocates for a claim or a position by playing on people’s fears. This fallacy is also called scare tactics.
Let’s examine the following example:
What follows is a summary of the arguments in the video:
You should take programming classes in college. If you don’t, you will be jobless after graduation
Let’s analyze the arguments. You have two attempts to complete each item.
* 1. What is the arguer’s claim? (Please select the best answer.)
A. You should take programming classes in college.
B. Do not take programming classes in college.
C. If you do not take programming classes in college, you will be jobless after graduation.
D. You will be jobless after graduation.
Awesome! This statement presents the arguer’s claim.
This is not the position that the arguer asserts.
This is not the position that the arguer asserts. This statement presents the reason that supports the arguer’s claim.
This is not the position that the arguer asserts.
The following statement is the arguer’s claim: You should take programming classes in college.
* 2. What is the reason that that the arguer uses to support the position? (Please select the best answer.)
A. You should take programming classes in college.
B. Do not take programming classes in college.
C. If you do not take programming classes in college, you will be jobless after graduation.
D. You will be jobless after graduation.
This statement presents the arguer’s position, not the reason that supports the position.
This is not the reason that supports the arguer’s position.
Excellent! This is the reason that the arguer presents, though it is not relevant to the argument.
Very close, but not quite. The conditional statement (If…, then…) presents the reason, but the main clause (i.e., you will be jobless after graduation) in the conditional statement does not accurately convey the reason.
What follows is the reason that the arguer presents, though it is not relevant to the argument: If you do not take programming classes in college, you will be jobless after graduation.
Here is an analysis of the argument:
Premise/ reason: If you do not take programming classes in college, you will be jobless after graduation.
Claim/ position: You should take programming classes in college.
While many jobs do not require programming skills, the arguer attempts to persuade listeners to accept the position by playing on their fear of unemployment. The fallacy that the arguer commits in this argument is called “appeal to fear” (also called scare tactics).