Name:
Argumentum Ad Misericordiam.

Area of law:
Argument.

Summary:
This is a logical fallacy, whereby someone tries to win support for an argument or idea by exploiting his or her opponent’s feelings of pity or guilt. It is an appeal to emotion and does nothing to address the underlying issue.

Importance/value:
It is important to identify when an opponent does this and to call them out on it. The only area where you might want to tread lightly is in family law, where subjective feelings are considered relevant.

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