Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Appeal to ridicule
Appeal to ridicule is a logical fallacy which presents the opponent's argument in a way that appears ridiculous and mocking it.
Examples
- If Einstein is right that would mean that when I drive my car it gets shorter and heavier. That's crazy!
- You can't have a cat called Fido. Calling a cat Fido would just be silly!
This should be contrasted with reductio ad absurdum which is a valid logical argument form. Ridiculing the person making the argument is specifically an ad hominem attack.
10-26-2009 08:16:03
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details