Argumentum ad baculum - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Ad baculum) Threat of force to make a conclusion accepted "Threat of force" redirects here. Not to be confused with Threat of force (public international law) or Threat display.

Argumentum ad baculum (Latin for "argument to the cudgel" or "appeal to the stick") is the fallacy committed when one makes an appeal to force to bring about the acceptance of a conclusion. One participates in argumentum ad baculum when one emphasizes the negative consequences of holding the contrary position, regardless of the contrary position's truth value—particularly when the argument-maker himself causes (or threatens to cause) those negative consequences. It is a special case of the appeal to consequences.

Examples

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy gives this example of argumentum ad baculum:

If you don't join our demonstration against the expansion of the park, we will evict you from your apartment;

So, you should join our demonstration against the expansion of the park.

The phrase has also been used to describe the 1856 caning of Charles Sumner, an abolitionist Senator, by one of his pro-slavery opponents, Preston Brooks, on the floor of the United States Senate.

References

Curtis, Gary N. (2018). "Logical Fallacy: Appeal to Force". The Fallacy Files. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199331864/stu/supplement/
"Argumentum ad Baculum". philosophy.lander.edu. Lander University. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
Woods, John (November 1998). "Argumentum ad baculum" (PDF). Argumentation. 12 (4): 493–504. doi:10.1023/A:1007779930624. S2CID 143386357. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
Hansen, Hans (2020). "Fallacies". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2020 ed.). Retrieved 16 May 2023.
"American Notes". The Illustrated London News. Vol. LXXI, no. 2009. 29 December 1877. p. 622. Retrieved 24 June 2021. ...that uncompromising Sumner whose eloquence exasperated a fiery Southerner into the employment of the argumentum ad baculum...

Common fallacies (list)

Formal

In propositional logic	Affirming a disjunct Affirming the consequent Denying the antecedent Argument from fallacy Masked man Mathematical fallacy
In quantificational logic	Existential Illicit conversion Proof by example Quantifier shift
Syllogistic fallacy	Affirmative conclusion from a negative premise Negative conclusion from affirmative premises Exclusive premises Existential Necessity Four terms Illicit major Illicit minor Undistributed middle

Informal

Equivocation

Question-begging

Correlative-based

Illicit transference

Secundum quid

Faulty generalization

Ambiguity

Questionable cause

Animistic
- Furtive
Correlation implies causation
- Cum hoc
- Post hoc
Gambler's
- Inverse
Regression
Single cause
Slippery slope
Texas sharpshooter

Appeals

Consequences	Argumentum ad baculum Wishful thinking
Emotion	Children Fear Flattery Novelty Pity Ridicule In-group favoritism Invented here / Not invented here Island mentality Loyalty Parade of horribles Spite Stirring symbols Wisdom of repugnance

Genetic fallacy

Ad hominem	Appeal to motive Association Reductio ad Hitlerum Godwin's law Reductio ad Stalinum Bulverism Poisoning the well Tone Tu quoque Whataboutism
Authority Accomplishment Ipse dixit Poverty / Wealth Etymology Nature Tradition / Novelty Chronological snobbery

Other fallacies
of relevance

Arguments	Ad nauseam Sealioning Argument from anecdote Argument from silence Argument to moderation Argumentum ad populum
Cliché The Four Great Errors I'm entitled to my opinion Ignoratio elenchi Invincible ignorance Moralistic / Naturalistic Motte-and-bailey fallacy Psychologist's fallacy Rationalization Red herring Two wrongs make a right Special pleading Straw man

Category

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Categories:

Examples

See also

References