The first fallacy is an example of a Slippery Slope (Ad Nauseam or Ad Absurdum).
A Slippery slope is when someone’s course of action leads to something unrealistic or outrageous.
The character in Twelve Angry Men who committed this fallacy was Yankee.
Yankee said “Suppose this whole building fell on my head. You can suppose anything.”
Yankee’s claim was a Slippery Slope because it created a domino effect in the movie, because the Architect supposes the jurors could have been wrong, then Yankee could have supposed that the building could fall on his head. For example, he should have done was say that there is a possibility that they could all be wrong. Without referring to the building he would not have committed a fallacy. …show more content…
He makes a false conclusion within his own statement, all of the other jurors noticed this at this point. These are the final words of the Man with a Cold before he goes and sits in a corner.
3. Appeal to Emotions
The third fallacy is an example of an Appeal to Emotions (Ad Misericordiam)
An appeal to emotions is when the debater attempts to win an argument by trying to get an emotional reaction from the opponent.
The character in Twelve Angry Men who committed this fallacy was the Architect.
The Architect says “He’s only eighteen years old” to further defend the boy’s case.
The Architect’s statement is an appeal to emotions because he was attempting to use emotion, sympathy, that the boy is barely an adult. This is a fact in the trial, but nothing to assume that he is innocent. He could have avoided committing this fallacy by saying he is eighteen, and follow up with facts about the crime that prove the boy’s innocence.
It is important to recognize an Appeal to Emotions because for example, in the Presidential Debates the candidates will use emotional statements to draw out certain emotions to make people feel or act a certain way. For example, Donald Trump makes America the victim when talking about how all of our jobs are disappearing. Trump is bringing out fear and rage from