12-27-2018, 03:56 PM
(12-27-2018, 03:51 PM)bfine32 Wrote: it's a tactic often employed in the forum. You really cannot disagree with the general premise; find a minute point that you can dispute. It's an informal fallacy known as contextotomy.
By focusing on the word excruciating the arguer can dismiss the broader point.
Except that fallacy is about arguing something out of context. In this instance, I am actually looking at the context. The claim of the OP is that a fetus at 8 weeks of development can feel excruciating pain. There is no evidence being presented to support that.
However, the use of the word "excruciating", as well as continuing to use the term "baby" to refer to a fetus, is a logical fallacy called argumentum ad passiones. It isn't rooted in evidence or logic, but instead on emotion.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
