Fallacy: Appeal to Pity
Also known as: Ad Misericordiam
An Appeal to Pity is a fallacy in which a person substitutes a claim
intended to create pity for evidence in an argument. The form of the
"argument" is as follows:
This line of "reasoning" is fallacious because pity does
not serve as evidence for a claim. This is extremely clear in the
following case: "You must accept that 1+1=46, after all I'm
dying..." While you may pity me because I am dying, it would hardly
make my claim true.
This fallacy differs from the
Appeal to the Consequences of a Belief
(ACB). In the ACB fallacy, a person is using the effects of a belief as
a substitute for evidence. In the Appeal to Pity, it is the feelings of
pity or sympathy that are substituted for evidence.
It must be noted that there are cases in which claims that actually
serve as evidence also evoke a feeling of pity. In such cases, the
feeling of pity is still not evidence. The following is an example of a
case in which a claim evokes pity and also serves as legitimate
evidence:
Professor: "You missed the midterm, Bill."
The above example does not involve a fallacy. While the professor
does feel sorry for Bill, she is justified in accepting Bill's claim
that he deserves a makeup. After all getting run over by a truck would
be a legitimate excuse for missing a test.
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Description of Appeal to Pity
Bill: "I know. I think you should let me take the makeup."
Professor: "Why?"
Bill: "I was hit by a truck on the way to the midterm. Since I had to go to the emergency room with a broken leg, I think I am entitled to a makeup."
Professor: "I'm sorry about the leg, Bill. Of course you can make it up."
Examples of Appeal to Pity
Bill:
"He had his heart set on the job, and it would break if he didn't
get it."
Jill: "I guess he'll do an adequate job."