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Philosophy 103: Introduction to Logic 

Abstract: The argument based upon the appeal to force or threats in order to bring about the acceptance of a conclusion is often fallacious.

I. Argumentum ad Baculum (fear of force): the fallacy committed when one appeals to force or the threat of force to bring about the acceptance of a conclusion.

1. The ad baculum derives its strength from an appeal to human timidity or fear and is a fallacy when the appeal is not logically related to the claim being made. In other words, the emotion resulting from a threat rather than a pertinent reason is used to cause agreement with the purported conclusion of the argument.



2. The ad baculum contains implicitly or explicitly a threat. Behind this threat is often the idea that in the end, "Might makes right." Threats, per se, however, are not fallacies because they involve behavior, not arguments.
   
   
3. Often the informal structure of argumentum ad baculum is as follows.




Person L says accept argument A or event x will happen. Event x is bad, dangerous, or threatening. Therefore, argument A is a good argument.

II. Examples of ad baculum fallacies:

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Chairman of the Board: "All those opposed to my arguments for the opening of a new department, signify by saying, 'I resign.'"



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The Department of Transportation needs to reconsider the speed limit proposals on interstate highways for the simple reason that if they do not, their departmental budget for DOT will be cut by 25%.



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I'm sure you can support the proposal to diversify into the fast food industry because if I receive any opposition on this initiative, I will personally see that you are transferred to the janitorial division of this corporation..



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The basis of an ad baculum is the story of Giordano Bruno. Bruno (1548-1600) envisioned a multitude of solar systems in limitless space and believed in the astronomical hypothesis of Copernicus. The Church threatened his life unless he changed his views. Bruno refused to be convinced by the ad baculum as so was burned at the stake in 1600).



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On October 10, 1971, Secretary of State William P. Rogers cautioned foreign ministers that Congress might force the United States reduce its financial contributions to the United Nations if Nationalist China is expelled. As a logical argument, Rogers caution is fallacious; as a political maneuver no argument is being adduced.



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III. Since many threats involve emotional responses, they can be much like the ad populum fallacy. The appeal to the fear of not being accepted as part of a group can often be analyzed as either the ad baculum or the ad populum.

IV. Non-fallacious examples of the ad baculum: the appeal is not irrelevant when the threat or the force is directly relevant to the conclusion or is, itself, the subject of the argument.

1. Greenpeace argued that the large underground nuclear tests at Amchitka Island off  Alaska in the early 1970's had the possible results of earthquakes, tsunamis, and radiation.  Hence, these environmentalists opposed testing. The threat is logically connected with the argument because of the probability of these consequences is not decisional (or prescriptive) but causal--hence, no fallacy occurs.



2. Physical or emotional threats in the nature of directive discourse or commands are not arguments and so are not fallacies.  E.g., "Study hard or your grades will fall."

         

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