Good Listening

The practice of making logical arguments in Latin began well over 2,000 years ago. Latin arguments used to persuade toward the negative are as follows. Please avoid their use.

Argumentum:

• ad hominem – the appeal to personal prejudice
• ad populum – an appeal to mass emotions
• ad misericordiam – an appeal through the exploitation to pity
• ad baculum – the application of brute forces – “to the club.”
• ad crumenam – an appeal to money, “the purse.”
• ad verecundiam – the playing up of prejudice
• ad ignorantiam – stress upon ignorance
• ad captandum vulgus – a dishonest argument to “catch the crowd.”