Skip to content
Free public beta until December 4, 2026: every course is open, no card needed. After that, the first chapter of each course stays free and full access is a one-time $39 ($19 for up to 100 founding members chosen for helpful feedback). Your progress is kept. How the beta works

appeal to emotion

Using feelings such as pity or fear in place of reasons.

An appeal to emotion tries to win agreement by stirring up pity, fear, pride, or guilt instead of giving evidence that the conclusion is true. Emotions can be appropriate responses to good reasons; the fallacy is using them as a substitute for reasons.

Examples

  • "Think of how hard I worked on this essay. It deserves an A."

See also

appeal to popularity appeal to force
Read the full section →