FALLACY: 2

The APPEAL TO RIDICULE

~EXAMPLE~

The Appeal to Ridicule: this type of fallacy is also known as ‘the appeal to
mockery’ or the ‘horse laugh’ and is a fallacy in which overt ridicule or mockery
is substituted for evidence in an ‘argument’. This line of ‘reasoning’ has the
following form:

1. X, which is some form of ridicule, is directed at a claim, C.

2. Therefore claim C is false.

This sort of ‘reasoning’ is purely fallacious because mocking a claim does not show
that it is false. This is especially clear in the following example:

P1. 1 + 1 = 2? That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!

C1. Therefore, 1 + 1 = 2 is false!

Example:

M: I really do think it is possible to bring back Islam as it was in the past with
its complete systems.

R: Yeah, of course you would! That’s just laughable and pure fantasy. You crazy
islamist brothers, man, always banging on about khilafah as the solution!

Notes:

Finding an argument as “laughable”, a “fantasy” and labeling the proponents of the

argument as “crazy” has no bearing on the truth or falsity of the argument.

This fallacy slips into many arguments and the da`wa carrier must be on guard
against them.

The da`wa carrier will notice these types of argument especially on internet forum

and chat rooms by individuals who don’t have an ounce of knowledge but can hide
behind a pseudonym and lambaste other Muslims for their views.

s.z.c.

London 2003