The fallacy of misplaced authority arises whenever attributing authority to a source that does not merit the authorty. This fallacy is a particular problem in celebrity cultures. We want to hear entertainers’ opinions on politics, athletes opinions on soft drinks, and artists’ opinions on the environment. Here is an obvious example:
The AFL-CIO, AFT, and Sean Penn have endorsed Senator John Kerry’s candidacy for President of the United States.
Sean Penn, an award-winning actor, does not have the same credibility or clout as do the AFL-CIO (a 9 million member union) or the AFT (a 1.3 million member union).
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
-
A participant in one of my workshops, D. Hom, asked a question about hyphenating expressions such as “end of year.” Determining what to h...
-
READER QUESTION Which of the following sentences is correct? The contract was signed by Lee, Sam, and me . The contract was ... -
It's a good thing that the hyphen is not a frequently used punctuation mark because most people don't know how to use it. The hyp...