Which of the following commits the fallacy of popular appeal?
A) an argument that we should believe that evolutionary theory is correct on the grounds that almost all biologists believe it
B) an argument that you should vote for Smith because everyone else is going to vote for him
C) an argument that we should believe that the Earth is flat on the grounds that the Earth certainly does not look round when you are standing on it
D) All of these answers describe arguments that commit the fallacy of popular appeal.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An argument commits the fallacy of popular appeal when it claims that popular opinion is a good reason to believe some conclusion. An appeal to what everyone or the majority believes is an appeal to popular opinion. However, an appeal to the consensus of experts is not an instance of this fallacy. Expert opinion can be an important source of evidence.

Which of the Following Commits the Fallacy of Popular Appeal