What is a common feature of an appeal to ignorance?

What is a common feature of an appeal to ignorance?

• A. It requires evidence to be provided.
• B. It relies on assumptions of guilt or innocence.
• C. It seeks to prove a point through findings.
• D. It questions the motives of an opponent.

Answer: (B)

An appeal to ignorance, also known as argumentum ad ignorantiam, is characterized by its reliance on the lack of evidence as a basis for asserting that a claim is true or false. This type of argument often plays on the idea that if something has not been proven false, it must be true, or vice versa. Therefore, it fundamentally hinges on assumptions of guilt or innocence based on the absence of evidence rather than on affirmative evidence itself. This feature makes it distinct, as it shifts the burden of proof onto the opponent by implying that because they have not disproved a claim, it should be accepted as valid. This tactic often leads to logical fallacies, as the absence of evidence does not inherently confirm the validity of the statement being made.

An appeal to ignorance, also known as argumentum ad ignorantiam, is characterized by its reliance on the lack of evidence as a basis for asserting that a claim is true or false. This type of argument often plays on the idea that if something has not been proven false, it must be true, or vice versa. Therefore, it fundamentally hinges on assumptions of guilt or innocence based on the absence of evidence rather than on affirmative evidence itself. This feature makes it distinct, as it shifts the burden of proof onto the opponent by implying that because they have not disproved a claim, it should be accepted as valid. This tactic often leads to logical fallacies, as the absence of evidence does not inherently confirm the validity of the statement being made.