§   DEFINITION

Appeal to Force – using force to gain a favorable response.
 

An appeal force is just another name for a threat.  A threat diverts the reader’s attention away from the real issue, and places it onto the negative consequences of not accepting the argument involuntarily.  Violence does not involve logic, so it cannot be a logical means of settling an argument (which is a matter of the mind, not the body).  Threats (be they verbal or physical) are cowardly substitutes for accepting that one’s argument is invalid or unreasonable.
 

FOR  YOUR  INFORMATION

Extortion, blackmail, intimidation, and sexual harassment are all examples of threats.
 

EXAMPLE 1

Union boss speaks: “This proposed law is unfair to labor, and therefore should be defeated.  The unions are angry and threaten a strike if this law is passed.”

Although the law may indeed by biased against labor workers, threatening action against the law's passing does not make the argument more logical.  True, people may react violently if laws do not favor certain individuals or groups, but the threat of force (in the form of strikes, lawsuits, or physical violence) does not validate the argument.

Management (the labor union’s opponent) already understands that the union members outnumber them, so a strike is always a possibility – it doesn’t need to be overtly mentioned (especially early in the labor negotiations).  The use of justifiable force (such as a military response) should always be the last resort, not the first (at least according to logic …).
 

In the following examples, each speaker suggests that the threat of force is sufficient to accept the claim.  This is, of course, fallacious reasoning.  Often, people resort to force when they know they have already been defeated (therefore, violence may be their only recourse) or when they fear being defeated (and therefore resorting to their most powerful weapons – control, power, and strength).
 

EXAMPLES 2, 3, and 4

A loan shark says: “Pay back the loan and 10% daily interest by Thursday, or be sure that you have you hospital insurance paid up.”

A pompous lawmaker blurts: “Any scientist or research group that doesn't support my Clean Test Tube Initiative cannot expect to receive any further federal funds supporting their research.”

Leader of Political Party X asserts: “Every member of this political party must choose between supporting my economic policies — or getting the political blackball.”