Argument from Popularity
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[edit] Definition
Argument from Popularity (formally, argumentum ad populam) is an informal logical fallacy where an individual claims that a proposition is true because it is or has been widely believed. In its most general form, the argument is generally presented as follows.
- P is believed by millions of people worldwide
- Therefore, P
It is a fallacy because millions or billions of people can still believe in something that is wrong.
[edit] Examples
There are two closely related forms of the argument from popularity.
Example 1:
- Antagonist: "Millions of people worldwide believe in fairies. Obviously, fairies do exist!"
Example 2:
- Antagonist: "People have believed in fairies for thousands of years. Obviously, fairies do exist!"
In either case, the mere fact that people have believed in something (even for a long time) does not make it true; people can be deceived. Part of the scientific process, or scholarship more broadly, is to find out things that we previously believed to be true that are not.
[edit] Exceptions to the Rule
In some cases, appeal to popularity may be legitimate as a source of evidence supporting particular kinds of questions. In particular, questions of taste and esthetics are notoriously difficult to study "objectively," but surveys can provide information about broad demographic opinions. For example, the following argument, although technically an appeal to popularity, is rational and appropriate.
- Antagonist: "J.K. Rowling is a terrible author, with nothing at all to recommend her!"
- Protagonist: "I don't know about that; her books are tremendously popular. Obviously a lot of people consider her to be worth reading. She must have something going for her, even if you don't see it."
