Appeal to emotion is a fallacy which uses the manipulation of the recipient's emotions, rather than valid logic, to win an argument. This kind of appeal to emotion is a type of red herring and encompasses several logical fallacies, including:

• Appeal to consequences
• Appeal to fear
• Appeal to flattery
• Appeal to pity
• Appeal to ridicule
• Appeal to spite
• Wishful thinking

Related fallacies

Other types of fallacies may also overlap with or constitute an appeal to emotion, including:

• Ad hominem attacks
• Guilt by association
• Misleading vividness
• Slippery slope
• Two wrongs make a right (if arguing for revenge)
• Straw man

Examples

• "For the children"
• "Support our troops"

See also

• Truthiness

External links

• About.com: Appeals to emotion index
• Fallacy Files: Emotional appeal
• Nizkor: Appeal to emotion
• Emotion Theory in Advertising