Appeal to common sense is a persuasive technique that relies on the listener's intuitive sense of what is reasonable or obvious. It is often used in arguments where the speaker wants to convince the listener that their position is self-evident and requires no further explanation or justification. This technique is based on the assumption that people share a common set of beliefs and values, and that these beliefs and values can be used to support an argument without the need for additional evidence or reasoning. One of the key features of appeal to common sense is that it relies on the listener's subjective opinion of what is reasonable or obvious. This means that what one person considers to be common sense may not be the same as what another person considers to be common sense. As a result, this technique can be used to manipulate people's beliefs and attitudes by appealing to their preconceived notions and biases. Another important aspect of appeal to common sense is that it can be used to avoid providing evidence or logical proof to support an argument. Instead of presenting a well-reasoned argument with supporting evidence, the speaker simply asserts that their position is self-evident and requires no further explanation. This can be a powerful technique in situations where the audience is not well-informed or is not able to critically evaluate the argument being presented. However, it is important to note that appeal to common sense is not always a fallacy. In some cases, it can be a legitimate way of making an argument. For example, if a speaker is making a claim that is widely accepted as true, they may be able to appeal to common sense to support their position. In these cases, the speaker is not relying solely on the listener's subjective opinion, but is instead appealing to a shared set of beliefs and values.
persuasive technique, intuitive sense, subjective opinion, shared beliefs, biases, evidence, logical proof, fallacy
Appeal to common sense is a way of arguing that something is true because it just makes sense. It can be used to convince someone to believe something, even if there is no evidence to back it up. It is important to remember that just because something seems logical, it does not necessarily mean it is true. People should always use facts and evidence to back up their arguments.
Common sense, logical fallacy, cognitive bias.
Appeal to common sense is a logical fallacy that occurs when an argument is made based on what is considered to be self-evident or obvious. It involves presenting a statement as obviously true without providing any logical proof or evidence to support the claim. In doing so, the speaker is implicitly asking the listener to accept the statement on the basis of its apparent obviousness. This type of argument is considered a cognitive bias because it relies on the listener's subjective opinion of what is obvious, rather than any objective evidence. It can also be seen as a logical fallacy because it does not provide any logical justification for the claim and thus fails to prove that the statement is actually true.
Logical fallacies, cognitive biases, self-evident, obviousness, subjective opinion, objective evidence.
CITATION : "Jessica Adams. 'Appeal To Common Sense.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=213846 (Accessed on May 13, 2025)"
We have 216.484 Topics and 472.443 Entries and Appeal To Common Sense has 3 entries on Design+Encyclopedia. Design+Encyclopedia is a free encyclopedia, written collaboratively by designers, creators, artists, innovators and architects. Become a contributor and expand our knowledge on Appeal To Common Sense today.