Ad Populam

1
Ad Populam
By Cassie Glass and Cassandra Cochran

• The Latin name of this fallacy means "to the
  people." There are several versions of the ad
  Populam fallacy, but what they all have in common
  is that in them, the arguer takes advantage of
  the desire most people have to be liked and to
  fit in with others and uses that desire to try to
  get the audience to accept his or her argument.
  One of the most common versions is the bandwagon
  fallacy, in which the arguer tries to convince
  the audience to do or believe something because
  everyone else (supposedly) does.

"Fallacies." Home The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2007. Web. 14 Apr.
2011.
2
Ad Populam (universal example)

• "Example Ad Populum." Philosophy Home Page. 25
  Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
• "But officer, I don't deserve a ticket  everyone
  goes this speed.  If I went any slower, I
  wouldn't be going with the stream of traffic.
• This example goes along with our fallacy because
  it is like bandwagon. the guy thought that since
  everyone else was going over the speed limit that
  he could break the law and join them.

3
Ad Populam

• Abigail and Betty.
• Page. 189 Act 1
• Abigail I saw Sarah Good with the devil! I
  saw Goody Osburne with the devil! I saw Bridget
  Bishop with the devil!
• Betty I saw George Jacobs with the devil! I
  saw Goody Howe with the devil!
• Betty I saw Martha Bellows with the devil!
• Abigail I saw Goody Sibber with the devil!
• Betty I saw Alice Barrow with the devil!
• This part from the play proves our fallacy
  because its like bandwagon. Betty was laying on
  the bed not speaking until Abigail began
  suggesting people and Betty seen she was getting
  a lot of attention so she decided to jump in with
  her and start claiming people she had seen with
  the devil.

4
Ad Populam

• Parris
• Page. 213 Act 3
• Parris All innocent and Christian people are
  happy for the courts in Salem. These people are
  gloomy for it. And I think you will want to know,
  from each and everyone of them, what discontents
  them with you.
• This part proves our fallacy because since most
  people believe the Salem Witch trials are right,
  Parris assumes that everyone thinks they are
  right. Our fallacy is all about some or most
  people thinking something is one way causes
  everyone to automatically believe the same way,
  just like Parris did with the people of Salem.