Appeal to Fear Fallacy A fallacy in which

“Appeal to Fear” Fallacy A fallacy in which a person attempts to create support for an idea by using deception and propaganda in attempts to increase fear and prejudice toward a competitor.

“Appeal to Fear” (Scare Tactics) Common Examples • “If you don’t graduate, you will live in poverty”. • “If you don’t start making smart decisions, you will end up in prison”. • “If you don’t stop drinking, you will die as early as your grandpa did”. • All of these examples create fear for the person who is getting told this.

Examples from “The Crucible” • The entire play is an “Appeal to Fear” fallacy. The characters are all scared that they will be hanged for being “witches”. This causes them to lie and blame others.

Another Example… • Parris if fearful to admit that there is witchcraft in his house to the congregation. • He is scared that witchcraft will get back to him so this causes him to lie.

Quote from “The Crucible” • Abigail: “Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about other things, and I will come to you in the black of night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you”. (Act 1 -Scene 1) • This is an appeal to fear because she is threatening them by scaring them into staying silent.