College Composition / Unit 30 CMP 0741 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Appeal to Fear
Captions available
The idea
An appeal to fear uses fear, often exaggerated, to drive a response, making a decision seem fraught with negative consequences.
In practice
A source that dwells on horrible deaths to push readers toward one policy appeals to fear rather than reasoning about the issue.
Where people slip
Emotional appeal is a legitimate strategy; it becomes a fallacy when fear replaces evidence.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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