Chapter seventeen is about fallacies of argument. The Chapter begins by explaining what fallacies are, it defines the word as arguments that are flawed by their very nature or structure. Fallacies can attack those against your argument by using reasonable criticism. Although, often times they are strategies that hurt everyone, even the person using them.
Fallacies of Emotional Argument:
-scare tactics: which can be used to persuade people by making them scarred or fearful.
-either-or Choices: this can be used as a way to simplify an argument by giving people less options, you have one or the other. Making the choices the audience has more likely in your favor. For example: "Either you do your HW and get money for good grades or I'll take your cell phone away."
-slippery slope: this strategy is very similar to scare tactics. It's an exaggeration of the consequences of an action, basically used to frighten people.
-sentimental appeals: use of tender emotions excessively to distract readers from facts. It captures the heart over the mind.
-bandwagon appeals: urge people to follow the same path everyone else is taking. Just what everyone goes through growing up, telling our parents that our friends have or can do this or that, why can't I? A phrase often said is "Well, if they jumped off of a bridge, would you jump too?"
Further on in the chapter it talks about Faulty Analogies, which are caparisons that give ideas greater presence and help clarify. Once a comparison is extended it becomes an analogy, which is understanding unfamiliar ideas by comparing them with something that's already known. This can be very useful and helpful in an argument, letting the readers/audience have a clear understanding, especially when something is compared to what's going on in the world today.
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