Appeal to Pity (Argumentum ad Misericordiam)
A logical fallacy that uses an emotional plea for sympathy to support a claim instead of providing relevant evidence or reasoning.
THE IDEA
3.14 ARGUMENTUM AD MISERICORDIAM
The argumentum ad misericordiam is also known as the appeal to pity. It is fallacious when sympathy substitutes for support that the particular conclusion requires. By evoking pity, the arguer hopes to persuade the audience or listener to accept his or her conclusion. For example:
- Boyfriend: You shouldn’t break up with me. Girlfriend: Why? Boyfriend: Because the thought of losing you hurts so much.
In this example, the boyfriend is trying to evoke a sense of pity in his girlfriend so that she might stay with him. His distress may matter to the conversation, but it does not by itself establish that she should remain in the relationship.
Consider these examples:
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Come on, I need you to lie for me. If you don’t I will lose my job, my wife, and my kids.
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Sue: Let’s go to the philosophy lecture on Monday night. Brad: I cannot go; I have to do homework. Sue: If you don’t go then I’ll have to walk home alone in the dark. Are you sure you won’t go?
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Professor Dreyfus, please reconsider the grade you gave me on my final. If I don’t get an “A,” then I won’t be able to get into graduate school.
These requests need to be assessed separately. Distress about a grade does not establish academic merit, and feared personal losses do not by themselves justify lying. Sue’s concern about walking home alone, however, may be a relevant practical reason to accompany her. An emotional appeal is not automatically a fallacy; ask how the concern bears on the requested action.
When to use it
Identifying when a charity advertisement uses pity to solicit donations without presenting facts about the cause.
Evaluating legal arguments where a defendant's lawyer appeals to the jury's sympathy instead of presenting exculpatory evidence.
Analyzing political speeches that use emotional stories to support policy positions without logical justification.
Recognizing when a colleague or friend tries to avoid accountability by invoking your pity.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Breakup Appeal
Boyfriend: 'You shouldn’t break up with me because the thought of losing you hurts so much.' His distress does not by itself establish an obligation to remain in the relationship.
Lying for Job
'Come on, I need you to lie for me. If you don’t I will lose my job, my wife, and my kids.' The plea relies on pity rather than justifying the lie.
Philosophy Lecture
Sue asks Brad to attend a lecture with her, and when he declines, she says, 'If you don’t go then I’ll have to walk home alone in the dark. Are you sure you won’t go?' The concern about getting home may supply a relevant practical reason. Whether the request is reasonable depends on the circumstances; its emotional content alone does not make it fallacious.
Grade Appeal
A student asks a professor to reconsider a grade because failing to get an 'A' would prevent admission to graduate school. The appeal is based on pity, not on academic merit.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Can you recall a situation where an appeal to pity was used on you? How did it affect your decision?
How can you tell whether an appeal to sympathy is relevant to the conclusion being drawn?
What are the potential consequences of accepting an argument based on pity rather than evidence?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Informal Logical Fallacies A Brief Guide