Which term describes arguing by citing the opinion of someone who is not an expert in the subject?

Which term describes arguing by citing the opinion of someone who is not an expert in the subject?

• A. Argumentum ad verecundiam
• B. Argumentum ad populum
• C. Dicto simpliciter
• D. Argumentum ad nauseam

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is recognizing when someone argues by citing the opinion of someone who isn’t an expert on the subject. This is an appeal to authority that falls short because the authority isn’t qualified to speak on the topic, so their endorsement doesn’t provide real evidence for the claim. The correct term for this move is Argumentum ad verecundiam, which names an appeal to authority—even if the cited person isn’t an expert. It relies on the respect or status of the person rather than relevant expertise or evidence, which makes the argument weak. For context, other common lines of reasoning describe different moves: appealing to the popularity of an idea hinges on what many people believe rather than on evidence; a generalization makes a broad claim from insufficient cases; and repeating a claim endlessly aims to wear down opposition, not to establish truth.

The idea being tested is recognizing when someone argues by citing the opinion of someone who isn’t an expert on the subject. This is an appeal to authority that falls short because the authority isn’t qualified to speak on the topic, so their endorsement doesn’t provide real evidence for the claim. The correct term for this move is Argumentum ad verecundiam, which names an appeal to authority—even if the cited person isn’t an expert. It relies on the respect or status of the person rather than relevant expertise or evidence, which makes the argument weak.

For context, other common lines of reasoning describe different moves: appealing to the popularity of an idea hinges on what many people believe rather than on evidence; a generalization makes a broad claim from insufficient cases; and repeating a claim endlessly aims to wear down opposition, not to establish truth.