Photographic Appeals to Emotion

If you've spent any time around the University of Texas at Austin campus over the last several years, chances are you've seen 18-foot tall photos of aborted fetuses on more than one occasion. These photos are part of an exhibit by anti-abortion groups that periodically pops up at various spots on campus (sometimes off the East Mall, sometimes near the Student Union). It's a very effective exhibit, too. Not in convincing anyone, though it may do that, but in disturbing people. Disgust and horror is often visible on the faces of many of the passers by.

This tactic -- disgusting people with images -- is the purest form of manipulation. Any first year philosophy student taking a logic course will recognize it as an example of the informal fallacy "appeal to emotion," with the argument going something like this: abortion is disgusting, therefore abortion is morally wrong. The fallaciousness of this argument should be obvious, but if it's not, take another example from medicine: open heart surgery is disgusting, therefore open heart surgery is morally wrong.

I bring this up because I find this tactic even more disturbing when people who should know better use it. Anyone who does use photographic appeals to emotion to strengthen their argument should be ashamed of themselves. And they might want to take a closer look at the position they're taking, as well. If you feel the need to resort to manipulation to make your case, chances are you couldn't make it very well without it.