Propaganda

Loaded Question

Loaded question: A question which is intended to get a particular answer. Example: "You don't want to see our world become more polluted, do you?"

Explanation:

Used by pollsters, lawyers, and others to illegitimately direct the person to a particular answer, when the question could be asked in a neutral way. This often appears as rhetorical questions. The rhetorical question shows up when someone doesn't have enough evidence to make a straight forward statement that would act as a premise. Instead, the question hopes that the reader will assume the desired answer.

Examples:

(i) Being a concerned citizen, are you planning to vote this year?

(ii) Who would want to see their children going to an underfunded school?

(iii) You wouldn't want to see all the redwoods cut down, would you?

(iv) 200 million tons of toxic chemicals are dumped into American waterways each day by industry. Do you think stricter pollution laws should be enacted?

Proof:

Show that the question is asked in such a way that only one answer could be given without great struggle, and that the answer to that question favors the one asking it.

^ Top
Close Window
<Back | Next>

 

 
Site Map | Last Updated on January 23, 2020 | ©2020 D. S. Peterson