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Definition:
An appeal to numbers is an informal fallacy which occurs when someone tries to argue that because something
is or has been popular or widely believed/done, then that is a good reason for others to do it or continue to
do it. But the number of people who believe a thing is in no way a basis for thinking that this belief
is true, valid or moral. Here are two examples (the first is from our forum):
More to the point - it is not necessary for me to prove or to establish or to validate the merits of spanking one's kid. The practice has stood the test of time. It is also the law, and it also finds a majority of support amongst those polled.
Hundreds of millions of people have been Christians, devoutly following it and even dying for it. How could that be possible if Christianity weren't true?
An appeal to numbers is also a form of an appeal to authority, because the sheer number of people who believe something is treated as being "authoritative" in some matter. As in the above example, it is not uncommon for an appeal to numbers to also be explicitly linked to an appeal to tradition because when lots of people believe something, it also tends to be a traditional belief.
Also Known As: Argumentum ad Populum, argument to the people, argumentum ad numerum, appeal to the gallery, appeal to the majority, appeal to what is popular, appeal to popular prejudice, appeal to the multitude, appeal to the mob, argument from consensus
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is the Logic and the Philosophy of Language?
The two fields Logic and the Philosophy of Language are often treated separately, but they are nevertheless close enough that they are presented together here. Logic is the study of methods of reasoning and argumentation, both proper and improper. The Philosophy of Language, on the other hand, involves the study of how our language interacts with our thinking.What is Philosophy?
What is philosophy? Is there any point in studying philosophy, or is it a useless subject? What are the different branches of philosophy - what's the difference between aestheitcs and ethics? What's the difference between metaphysics and epistemology?
