An appeal to fear (also called argumentum ad metum or argumentum in terrorem) is a logical fallacy in which a person attempts to create support for his or her idea by playing on existing fears and prejudices. A logical fallacy is an error in logical argument which is independent of the truth of the premises. ...

This fallacy has the following argument form: In logic, the argument form or test form of an argument results from replacing the different words, or sentences, that make up the argument with letters, along the lines of algebra; the letters represent logical variables. ...

Either P or Q

Q is fearsome

Therefore, P is true.

The argument is fallacious because it concludes P as true, even though this does not follow from the premises. The appeal to emotion is used in exploiting existing fears to create support for the speaker's proposal, namely P. The appeal to fear fallacy is closely linked to the false dilemma fallacy, in which a scary situation is often provided as a proposed idea's sole alternative. Appeal to emotion is a logical fallacy wherein the arguer (who is using this fallacy) takes advantage of emotion to prove his or her argument. ... The logical fallacy of false dilemma, which is also known as fallacy of the excluded middle, false dichotomy, either/or dilemma or bifurcation, involves a situation in which two alternative points of view are held to be the only options, when in reality there exist one or more alternate options...

Some examples which relies on this argument are:

• "We must raise taxes or else even more hospitals will be closed"
• "You should stop drinking unless you want to die young like your father."
• "If you don't graduate from high school you'll always be poor."
• "Believe in God or burn in Hell." (this also uses appeal to force)
• "If Darwinism beats Intelligent design an atheist state will be established."
• "Quit smoking or you will die of cancer."
• "If we don't introduce ID cards, the terrorists have won."

The Japanese word for a high school is kōtōgakkō (高等学校; literally high school), or kōkō (高校) in short. ... Argumentum ad baculum (Latin: argument to the cudgel or appeal to the stick), also known as appeal to horse, is said by some to be a logical fallacy. ... Identity cards in Britain Main article: British national identity card. ... ...the terrorists have won, or ...then the terrorists win was a popular phrase and meme used in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and, to a lesser degree, the United Kingdom, to reflect the role of the public in the War on Terrorism against...

See also

• appeal to emotion
• appeal to force
• FUD
• The terrorists have won

Appeal to emotion is a logical fallacy wherein the arguer (who is using this fallacy) takes advantage of emotion to prove his or her argument. ... Argumentum ad baculum (Latin: argument to the cudgel or appeal to the stick), also known as appeal to horse, is said by some to be a logical fallacy. ... FUD is an abbreviation for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, a sales or marketing strategy of disseminating negative but vague or inaccurate information on a competitors product. ... ...the terrorists have won, or ...then the terrorists win was a popular phrase and meme used in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and, to a lesser degree, the United Kingdom, to reflect the role of the public in the War on Terrorism against...

External links

• Propaganda critic: Fear appeal