What is it?
An appeal to emotion fallacy occurs when someone attempts to win an argument by manipulating emotions rather than using valid reasoning. It diverts attention from the facts and logical arguments to feelings.
Examples
Person A: 'Think of the children! We must pass this law to protect them.'
Person B: 'How can you oppose this policy? Don't you care about people suffering?'
How to Avoid This
While emotions have their place in decision-making, ensure your arguments are primarily supported by evidence and reasoning. Be wary when you feel strongly emotional about a position without clear logical support.
How to Counter This
Acknowledge the emotional aspect but redirect to the logical merits: 'I understand this is an emotional issue, but we need to examine the evidence about whether this solution would actually work.'