Fallacies in Logic ~ Reductio ad Hitlerum

Reductio ad Hitlerum

Despite its comical name, this is a real fallacy that you can see all the time in news media and political debate. A variety of non sequitur, it basically looks like this:

1. Hitler did X.
2. Therefore, X is evil.

On its surface, the reductio ad Hitlerum can look appealing, and it often persuades people. But think about it: Hitler did many horrible things, but not everything Hitler did was evil. Let’s try filling in the blanks:

1. Hitler was a vegetarian.
2. Therefore, vegetarianism is evil.

1. Hitler had a moustache.
2. Therefore, moustaches are evil.

1. Hitler was a carbon-based life form.
2. Therefore, carbon-based life forms are evil.

Clearly, this line of reasoning doesn’t work at all.



Source:

http://philosophyterms.com/fallacy/

Logical Form:

Person 1 suggests that Y is true.

Hitler liked Y.

Therefore, Y is false.

 

Person 1 suggests that Y is true.

Person 1’s rhetoric sounds a bit like Hitler’s.

Therefore, Y is false.

Example #1:

Peter Gibbons: It's NOT wrong. INITECH is wrong. INITECH is an evil corporation, all right? Chochkies is wrong. Doesn't it bother you that you have to get up in the morning and you have to put on a bunch of pieces of flair?

Joanna: Yeah, but I'm not about to go in and start taking money from the register.

Peter Gibbons: Well, maybe you should. You know, the Nazis had pieces of flair that they made the Jews wear.

Joanna: What?

Explanation: The above was from the classic masterpiece film, “Office Space”.  Out of desperation, Peter plays the Nazi card in order to make the idea of being made to wear flair more appalling.  This somewhat jarring statement misdirects the argument, and the focus is taken off Joanna’s last response, which was quite good.

 

 

Source:

 

https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/152/Reductio-ad-Hitlerum