Saturday, November 5, 2011

Appeal to Spite.

The appeal to spite type of appeal to emotion is basically the hope of revenge. Some cultures reject this type of appeal on the moral grounds and some other cultures not only accept the appeal, but also encourage a moral imperative for a person to "get even," to keep one's "honor."

For example: 

John: Hey Jill, what are you eating? It smells really good!
Jill: It's some rice, meat, and some vegetables my mom made me.
John: Oh, can I have some?
Jill: Of course!
McKayla: (whispering) Why are you going to give him some, Jill? Do you remember, last time? John would not give you any of his food you wanted to try.

McKayla's argument: You should not give John any of your food, because he would not give you some last time. To make McKayla's argument strong, she should add, "You shouldn't offer to anyone who has refused to offer you something (recently)."

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