Question

what are 5 fallacy arguments that apeal to emotion with the conclusion: the drinking age should be lowered.

Answer 1

There has been a debate on lowering age limit for drinking or consuming alcoholic beverages. There are many arguments in favor of lowering age limit for alcohol consumption and also arguments against the same.

Some arguments may be fallacious in logic while arguing in favor of drinking age limit. Let us consider below arguments, which in fact appeal to emotion, while advocating for lowering age limit for drinking.

1. If one can marry at age 18, then why not drink before 21 years of age. Here, this argument is false analogy as we cannot compare institution like marriage to drinking. We can note this argument has appeal to emotion like adulthood and feel responsibility. People argue if an individual can take responsibility of family and manage familial stressors at age 18, then why not drink at this age.

2. If the age limit lowered, then it will improve economy of the nation through taxes and revenue generated by new set of consumers. Here, people while arguing appeal emotion of national well being or contribution to nation building through duties and revenues attached to drinking. This is again a logical fallacy.

3. If an individual is eligible to serve in military for nation, then why not legally eligible for having a drink. Here, argument appeals emotion of individuals serving nation. They say if one can become martyr then why not eligible for a drink. Again, this is fallacious argument with false analogy, which only plays with emotions of youth.

4. If an individual is eligible for voting, then why not eligible for drink. Voting is a great responsibility as it reflects nation's well being. If one can have such responsibility at age of 18, then why not eligibility to have drink at 18. This argument appeals emotions of youth and young college students and makes them think without rationale. Again, voting a collective process but consuming a drink is individual process, so decision may have different results at short and long term, so this is logical fallacy which only appealing to emotions of youth.

5. Lowering age limit for drinking increases responsibility in youths. This again appeals emotions of youth, who are struggling with emotions at that age to balance between studies and work as well as relationships. This is fallacious argument, which actually appeals youth under 21 feel emotionally stable, but in fact consequences resulting from lowering age limit will hinder ability of youths and end them up in trouble.

We can say above arguments are actually only appealing to emotions of youth but fallacious in logic.