2012 believers occasionally use "celebrity endorsements" like the ones you've described to support their ideas. It is a logical fallacy known as argumentum ad verecundiam, or appeal to authority. It occurs when someone tries to support a proposition by citing someone who agrees with them, even though said person may have no expertise in the subject at hand. Do Billy Corrigan, Jack Van Impe, or Mel Gibson have the scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to realize that the various 2012 doomsday scenarios are not even remotely feasible? My guess is probably not.
Related to argumentum ad verecundiam is another fallacy commonly used by 2012 proponents, argumentum ad populem, or appeal to the people, which is trying to support a proposition by showing the public agrees with you. With 2012 believers, it goes something like this: "A lot of people believe a cataclysm will happen in 2012, therefore it must be true."
Don't let the 2012'ers pull the wool over your eyes with ridiculous arguments. Laura and Lika, my advice is simply this: Educate yourself about logical fallacies like the ones I've described, and you'll be able to recognize their faulty arguments and reasoning. I think Astrogeek has a section on this site about fallacies, but I can't find it to save my life.
Laura (guest) 19 Mar 2010 14:52
