RED HERRING

Latin Name: Ignorato elenchi (aka irrelevant conclusion or irrelevant thesis).

Definition: An argument that doesn't address the original issue. It's a deliberate attempt to divert the argument or change the subject to something unrelated.

Syllogism: 1. Topic A is under discussion

2. Topic B is introduced under the pretense (impression) of being relevent to topic A (when B is actually NOT relevant to

topic A)

3. Topic A is abandoned.

Examples: (a) Jon burnt his toast because the dial was too high. Darren left the dial up because he's irresponsible. He never knows what he's doing, he doesn't clean his room, he just sucks. It's Darren's fault that the toast is burnt.

**This is a red herring because it's completely going off of the fact that is was actually my fault that the toast was burnt in the first place. I should have checked the dial before putting my toast in, but instead I blamed Darren for not turning it down after I used it and called him irresponsible.

(b) Many people think that guns should be banned because they're used in murders. But it's not the guns that kill people. People kill people.

**This is a red herring because the initial topic of guns being banned is abandoned, and the new topic of "It's not the guns, it's the people" is being introduced.

It's Fallacious, but we use it anyway

Red herrings are fallacious because they barely relate to the original subject. You're trying to throw people off by bringing up something that's completely irrelevant to make people pay attention to that and not the original topic. You'd use this anyway to sway someone to believe what you want them to believe, or to get them off on a completely different subject. 

EXAMPLE IN THE MEDIA

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been portrayed as a cold hearted person, unable to show affection to his kids. He'd rather give them a handshake. 

"The first time he dropped off his kids with the media in tow, Mr. Harper said goodbye to Rachael and son Ben with a dutiful handshake."

- Article from globeandmail.

People's Reactions:

" Pinocchio. Wooden appearance. Puppet for other people's thoughts and ideas."

"Maybe a speech writer might have provided Harper with a warm message to his daughter. Empty Vessel"

** This is meant to distract Harper's supporters by proving that he cannot show compassion for anyone. It diverts people's attention from the initial issue--the election campaign--to his personality.

References:

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/red-herring.html

http://www.fallacyfiles.org/redherrf.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080930.welxnharperhug0930/CommentStory/politics/