Steelman
Loaded language
Also called prejudicial language, emotive language, weasel words (related).
Using emotionally charged words to win an argument without actually making one.
What it is
Describing something in words with strong positive or negative connotations so that a conclusion seems to follow from the description itself, when no reasons have been given.
The pattern
Describe X with a charged word (e.g. “scheme”, “regime”, “reckless”) instead of a neutral one. Let the word do the arguing.
An example
“Should we let bureaucrats waste even more of your hard-earned money on this scheme?”
A neutral version, “Should the city fund this program?”, shows that no reason has actually been given for rejecting it.
Why it fails
A value judgment built into a description hasn’t been argued for. Swap in neutral words and it becomes clear whether any reasons are left.
When it’s not a fallacy
Most lists skip this part. Calling a fair point a fallacy is a mistake too.
It can be fair when
- Evaluative words come with reasons: “wasteful, because it costs twice as much as the alternatives”.
Try one
A question from the app. The wrong answers are its usual look-alikes.
Community forum. Mr. Okafor: “The plan gives families $7,000 a year toward any accredited school, public or private, starting with families under twice the poverty line.” Ms. Vance: “So, a giveaway. Seven thousand dollars a head siphoned out of our neighborhood schools.”
What’s the flaw?
Ms. Vance doesn’t give a reason the plan is bad. “Giveaway” and “siphoned” cast it as waste and theft, and leave the real question, what happens to students, unargued.
A fair reply
“Put plainly, $7,000 follows a low-income student, so what’s the harm you see?”
Often confused with
- Loaded question
A loaded question hides an assumption in a question’s structure. Loaded language hides a judgment in word choice.
- Appeal to emotion
Loaded language is a common tool of emotional appeals, working through connotation.
Where the name comes from
A loaded word works like loaded dice: it’s weighted to land one way before any reasons are given. “Prejudicial” shares a root with prejudice, judging before the facts are in. “Emotive” means built to stir feelings. Weasel words, a cousin, are named for a folk image of a weasel sucking an egg empty and leaving the shell looking whole.
Sources
- Fallacies, Bradley Dowden, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
In the app
Practice spotting it on arguments that sound real.
Steelman has more examples of loaded language, how to answer it in a real conversation, and practice rounds that mix it with its look-alikes, so you learn the difference, not just the name. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
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