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Miserkordiam, argumentum ad

While pity is an admirable human quality, it does not provide the best basis for argument. When we turn to pity instead of reasoned discourse to support a particular contention, we commit the argumentum ad misericordiam.

In asking yourself if this man is to be convicted, ask yourself what it mean for him to be locked up in prison, deprived of his liberty, and turned into an outcast from humanity. (The question is whether he is guilty or not, not what conviction will do to him.)

When we are called upon to settle questions of fact, we should be weighing up the evidence on each side and attempting to arrive at the truth. The introduction of pity does nothing for the argument. While it might reasonably influence our actions, it should not influence our judgement. The consequences to various parties of the truth or falsehood of a statement does not bear on that truth or falsehood. Whether a man is sent to prison
or to the South Seas for a holiday does not alter the fact itself. An ad misericordiam is committed if pity is appealed to in the settlement of questions of truth and falsehood.

Can we continue to afford Jeeves as our groundsman? Look what happen if we don’t. Imagine the state of his wife and his children Christmas coming up and the cold snows of winter about to descend. ask instead, ‘can we afford not to employ Jeeves?’ (Yes we can. Of course, we might decide to afford him, which is quite a different thing.)

Taken from : How To Win EVery Argument