Difference between revisions of "Argument from authority"
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* "Carl Sagan says there can't be life elsewhere in the universe, so that proves it." | * "Carl Sagan says there can't be life elsewhere in the universe, so that proves it." | ||
* "God says homosexuality is a sin, so it must be." | * "God says homosexuality is a sin, so it must be." | ||
| + | * "Albert Einstein said 'God does not play dice with the universe.'" | ||
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==Reference== | ==Reference== | ||
* {{wikipedia|Appeal to authority}} | * {{wikipedia|Appeal to authority}} | ||
Revision as of 17:19, 4 August 2006
Overview
An argument from authority is any argument based solely on the credibility of a particular entity (the authority).
The presumption of credibility may proceed from any of several other presumptions, including:
- The authority is the definitive source for knowledge on this subject, so any statement s/he makes on this subject is true by definition or is the official truth
- The authority knows more than you do, so any counter-arguments you might propose are based on ignorance
- The authority is infallible and incapable of error
Synonyms
- ipse dixit (Latin: he himself said it)
- argumentum ad verecundiam (Latin: argument to respect)
Related Pages
- Argument from authority is a type of black box argument.
Examples
- "Carl Sagan says there can't be life elsewhere in the universe, so that proves it."
- "God says homosexuality is a sin, so it must be."
- "Albert Einstein said 'God does not play dice with the universe.'"
Reference
Notes
As a rhetorical tool, this argument often succeeds in shifting the debate from its original topic to a discussion of the merits of the cited authority, which can easily slide into ad hominem attacks ("you said so-and-so is wrong, well that just proves you're wrong!").