Argumentum Ad

Ignorantiam
Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam
• Is also known as "appeal to ignorance"

• where "ignorance" stands for: "lack of evidence to the contrary“

• a statement is true simply on the basis that it has not been proven false or that
it is false simply because it has not been proven true.
 Two basic patterns:
We do not know that P is false. We do not know that P is true.
Therefore, P is true. Therefore, P is false.

Example: Example:
Nobody has proven that ghosts do not exist. Nobody has proven that ghosts exist.
We can only conclude that it they do. We can only conclude that it they don’t.
Arguments that appeal to ignorance rely merely
on the fact that the veracity of the proposition
is not disproven to arrive at a definite
conclusion. These arguments fail to appreciate
that the limits of one's understanding or
certainty do not change what is true.
ad ignorantiam fallacy examples
◦ In spite of all the talk, not a single flying saucer report has been authenticated.
We may assume, therefore, there are not such things as flying saucers.
◦ No one has objected to Lander's parking policies during the last month of
classes, so I suppose those policies are very good.
◦ Since the class has no questions concerning the topics discussed in class, the
class is ready for a test.
◦ Biology professor to skittish students in lab: There is no evidence that frogs
actually feel pain; it is true they exhibit pain behavior, but as they have no
consciousness, they feel no pain.
◦ presumption of innocence in criminal cases-It is the principle of criminal law
that if there is a mere lack of evidence of innocence on the part of the
accused then it will not constitute an evidence of guilt of him.
JURISPRUDENCE ( European Court of Human Rights)
On appeal, by a judgment of 25 May 2012 the Constitutional Court
revoked the first-instance judgment in part. It also reversed the part of the
judgment in
respect of Article 8, commenting that it had not been established that the
applicant had a family life in Malta, and, even if this were so, the revocation
of his citizenship would not necessarily result in his having to leave Malta.
Indeed, it had not transpired that the applicant would be denied Maltese
residence or that he had applied for it and had been refused, nor had a
removal order been issued.
 End

Reporters:
LOUWELLA EREDIANO-IBABAO
PEARL COS