The bandwagon fallacy is an argumentative fallacy that appeals to popular belief and behavior, rather than valid logical points. It is often used in informal arguments and marketing campaigns, where claims are made based on popularity rather than evidence. This fallacy can be effective because it suggests that challenging the claim means challenging the beliefs of the majority. However, popularity does not necessarily equate to quality, and using the bandwagon fallacy means subordinating logical thinking to the beliefs of others.
A bandwagon fallacy is a type of argumentative fallacy that is based on an appeal to popular belief and behavior, not valid, logical points. An argument based on this fallacy usually has a format like “everyone else believes this, so it must be true” or “everyone else does, so it must be right.” Claiming that a TV show is good because it has large viewers, for example, is an example of a fallacious bandwagon argument because high viewership is not necessarily a sign of quality in and of itself. This form of argumentative fallacy can be used in many counter situations, such as arguing that a popular claim is true or that an unpopular claim is false.
There is nothing inherently fallacious or wrong in stating that many people believe a certain proposition or act in a certain way, as long as there is truth to the statement. Such a statement becomes a logical fallacy when used as support for an argument. When you say “A must be true, because more people believe A than A,” you are using a bandwagon fallacy. There is nothing inherent in most people’s beliefs that would make a proposition true. When one is convinced by a bandwagon fallacy, one chooses to subordinate one’s ability to think logically and examine facts to the abilities of an indefinite mass of others who supposedly believe a certain way.
While this fallacy is rarely used in formal debate, such arguments are still used in many contexts, including informal arguments and marketing campaigns. Claiming that “everyone knows it’s true” or “no one believes it actually happened” avoids actually providing evidence and support for a claim, at least if no one else involved in the argument requests further proof. A bandwagon fallacy can be effective because it suggests that by challenging the claim, you are challenging the beliefs of “everyone” or the vast majority of people. Many people are afraid of appearing dumb if they question a belief that is supposed to be held by most people.
Marketing and advertising often make extensive use of the bandwagon fallacy. Claiming that a certain brand of a product is the “most popular” or that a certain TV show is the “most watched” is a common advertising method. People who see this use of the bandwagon fallacy may think that because something is popular, it is good, and they won’t need to conduct any further research on the product or service.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
