Definition: Loaded or emotive terms are used to attach value or moral goodness to believing the proposition.
Examples:
- Right thinking Americans will agree with me that we should have another free vote on capital punishment.
- A reasonable person would agree that our income tax is too low.
- Senator Turner claims that the new tax rate will reduce the deficit. (Here, the use of "claims" implies that what Turner says is false.)
- The proposal is likely to be resisted by the bureaucrats on Parliament Hill.
(Compare this to: The proposal is likely to be rejected by officials on Parliament Hill.)
Proof: Identify the prejudicial terms used (eg. "Right thinking Canadians" or "A reasonable person"). Show that disagreeing with the conclusion does not make a person "wrong thinking" or "unreasonable".
References: Cedarblom and Paulsen: 153, Davis: 62
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