Cameron is giving a speech about the dangers of gluten. Cameron begins, "Gluten is added to almost all the food we eat. Why does that matter? People all over the world are having adverse reactions to it and don't even know it's in the food they eat. I have a friend who breaks out in hives every time he eats rice. He had no clue that gluten was in it! There is also a large anti-gluten movement. There are 15,000 people who have suffered from the effects of gluten and the movement is growing! Let's join that movement! If we remove unnecessary gluten from our food products, the majority of us can live healthier lives, unaffected by this byproduct." What is the argumentum ad populum fallacy in this description?
A) "Gluten is added to almost all the food we eat."
B) "People all over the world are having adverse reactions to it and don't even know it's in the food they eat."
C) "There is also a large anti-gluten movement. There are 15,000 people who have suffered from the effects of gluten and the movement is growing!"
D) "If we remove unnecessary gluten from our food products, the majority of us can live healthier lives, unaffected by this byproduct."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The argumentum ad populum fallacy is present in choice C, where the speaker suggests that because there is a large and growing anti-gluten movement with many people involved, their stance against gluten is valid. This fallacy appeals to the popularity of a belief as evidence for its truth or validity, rather than presenting factual evidence.

Cameron Is Giving a Speech About the Dangers of Gluten