Appeal to Flattery Fallacy - Speech or Presentation Example

Appeal to flattery is a fallacy or a misleading idea which has been frenetically researched through the lens of philosophy and psychology.Fallacy itself is widely known as a poorly constructed argument that employs no reasoning but misleading ideas which are expressed to further one’s interests.When there is no concrete reason for advancing one’s interests, a variety of fallacies can be used to achieve the desired objectives.Appeal to flattery is an intentional fallacy which is deliberately used to get something from the other person.

Manipulation by deception is the art which forms bedrock of this fallacy. Flattery here is artistically enveloped in such beautiful packaging that often the person on whom this fallacy is aimed does not even know that he/she is being used in some way. This paper will explicate at length the philosophical meaning underlying the appeal to flattery. This fallacy is a confluence of two streams, flattery and buttered compliments. Both are frequently employed in place of evidence to win the heart of the other person.

There is no evidence usually which is why people depending on this fallacy have to use it in the first place. Using emotionally charged language in place of pure evidence is the theme of this fallacy (Rainbolt & Dwyer, 2010, p. 140). The use of fallacious appeals is so frequent and pervasive in our society that its effects can be described as ubiquitous. From domestic setting through schools and colleges to business settings, everyone is seen using some fallacious argument on routine basis to gain certain benefits.

Husband and wife at a home can be complimenting each other very effectively substituting evidence by flattery to save their marriage. Students in a classroom can be witnessed ardently complimenting the teacher’s oratory skills actually wanting the deadline on some assignment to be extended. In this instance, students commit fallacious appeals to flattery (Rainbolt & Dwyer, 2010, p. 140). A group of employees can be seen passionately laughing on their manager’s shallow jokes at a workplace apparently pretending to be impressed by their boss’s humor skills for a rise in their salaries or bonuses while actually feeling a swinging pain in their jaws from forced laughter.

These examples suggest that appeal to flattery is actually a very phony way of sustaining something or advancing interests by cunningly appealing to others’ emotions. Flattery can never take place of concrete evidence which is why the kind of reasoning incorporated in appeal to flattery is outrageously fallacious. Though the principal theme in this fallacy is that flattery can be used in place of evidence provided it is used artistically to compel the other person to act in a certain way by influencing his/her thinking (Chaffee, 2010, p. 559), but this reasoning or this way of rationalizing this idea is still misleading because flattery is based on empty mockery.

This fallacy of irrelevance stems from empty lies used to appeal others emotionally (Gambrill, 2012, p. 384) which is why this is an emotional attach which cannot be rationalized no matter how lightly or abundantly it is used. Some people in particular have an exceptionally shrewd acumen for this specific fallacy and they can be seen using this great talent to surpass others. They even manage to gain more autonomy and dominance than the rest because truth is that flattery is found by many people a singularly irresistible sweet though actually it is only a dark lie wrapped very colorfully.

General consensus is that appeal to flattery is a logical fallacy, not enormously destructive in comparison to some other fallacies which have major shortcomings, but cannot be considered constructive at all. This is because however logical it may seem, it still makes use of fake compliments to make a point as there is no real evidence. As it is an irrelevant fallacy, a wrong point is supported and though not singularly destructive, this fallacy is still disparagingly criticized by many because of its