Logical Fallacy - Poisoning the Well

Poisoning the Well

Latin:
Poisoning the well or Toxicum Puteus in Latin.

Explanation:
All logical fallacies are divided into two main parts. These two main parts are formal and informal. Within each part there are an enormous amount of different fallacies called sub fallacies, every sub fallacy under the main part is a more specific example of a previous generalization of the fallacy. For Example Red Herring is a more specific example of an informal fallacy. But the genetic fallacy is a more specific example of red herring consequently, a more specific example of an informal fallacy. Now poisoning the well falls under a more precise example of an argumentum ad hominem (argument to the man) which a branch off of a genetic fallacy. Poisoning the well adverts to the European myth that the Jews had poisoned their wells with the Black Plague. This gave the Europeans an excuse to persecute the Jews. The phrase was first coined in “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” by John Henry Newman. Newman describes it as being: “What I insist upon here…is this unmanly attempt of his, in his concluding pages, to cut the ground from under my feet;—to poison by anticipation the public mind against Me”(FallacyFiles). This all means basically that person A says mockery before statement, to corrupt the minds and opinions of the audience listening to person B. All poisoning the well really is trying to discredit whatever person B is about to say. Poisoning the well can be sued in either an abusive way by insulting an opposition or in a circumstantial way by showing how one side is bias and exposing it in a negative way. This fallacy is often used in politics too tarnish the opposition’s image. This fallacy can also be very useful in debates and various other ways.

The Example (2):
Topic: Seal Clubbing
Person Agaist1: Why would you ever listen to this cruel murderous lunatic (abusive).
Person Againt2: This man only opposes me because if seal clubbing is banned then he will lose all of his business (circumstantial).
Person Opposing: Is trapped and won’t know what to say.

The well has been poisoned because now the audience either way sees the opposition in a bad way either in an insulting way or in a only money matter to the person way.

Topic: University
Person Against1: Only stuck up snobs go there to feel superior (abusive).
Person Against2: Student only are going to university because teachers and peer tell them they will get a higher education which is false because some college can help you get a degree as well (circumstantial).
Person Opposing: No matter what he/she says it will not seem right.

The Syllogism:
Horhay says “Our justice system is too strict”
Dylan replies “May I remind you that the Justice System got Horhay locked up for 5 years, so Horhay is untrustworthy”
Therefore the audience is almost forced to discredit whatever Horhay has to say, due to Dylan’s clever poisoning the well.

The Media:
One of the major strains of reaction to Barack Obama’s “More Perfect Union” speech is that those who are not persuaded by it are therefore racist or at least unreasoning fools. Poisoning the well in this manner may be an effective rhetorical device but it undercuts the very message of the speech, which is that race remains a very complicated issue in American culture and that we must tolerate a wide range of expressions on the subject.(Joyner)

Bibliography

1. Gary N., Curtis. "The Taxonomy of Logical Fallacies." Fallacy Files. 2008. 24 Oct 2008 http://www.fallacyfiles.org/taxonomy.html.

2. Joyner, James. "Obama's Speech: Poisoning the Well." Outside the Beltway. 03 March 2008. OTB Media. 24 Oct 2008 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/obamas_speech_poisoning_the_well/.