RE: Appeal to hypocrisy
December 10, 2012 at 4:11 pm
(This post was last modified: December 10, 2012 at 4:17 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Sure John, that would work. Now lets consider that second half of yours.
A: You should not smoke. I do not smoke. If I smoked, I would have no basis to protest others' smoking.
B: But I have evidence that you smoke.
B still has no power to amend the bolded bit of A's statement (even assuming the claim was accurate). A may not have a basis to protest other's smoking personally (if, for example, they smoked, but that doesn't lead to or imply that no one does..or that there is a reason to or that you -should- smoke to begin with).
On-board so far?
Now, if A had said "You should not smoke -because- I do not smoke" you may be on to something. However, as it stands, the unbolded bit of A's statement is simply autobiographical, having no bearing on the bolded bit.
To take this further, if A had made the statement "You shouldn't because I don't" we might question why their actions should be considered as an authority. We might levy the charge "appeal to authority".
A: You should not smoke. I do not smoke. If I smoked, I would have no basis to protest others' smoking.
B: But I have evidence that you smoke.
B still has no power to amend the bolded bit of A's statement (even assuming the claim was accurate). A may not have a basis to protest other's smoking personally (if, for example, they smoked, but that doesn't lead to or imply that no one does..or that there is a reason to or that you -should- smoke to begin with).
On-board so far?
Now, if A had said "You should not smoke -because- I do not smoke" you may be on to something. However, as it stands, the unbolded bit of A's statement is simply autobiographical, having no bearing on the bolded bit.
To take this further, if A had made the statement "You shouldn't because I don't" we might question why their actions should be considered as an authority. We might levy the charge "appeal to authority".
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