18 Popular Passions: "ad populum appeals"The appeal ad populum or "to the people" is characteristic of addresses to the uninformed. (Bacon named them "idols of the market-place.") The man who conjures with racial or religious hatred, the agitator who stirs passions by pointing to the evils of colonial government without acknowledging any of its accomplishments, the demagogue who resorts to name calling and in this country brands proposals which he does not like as "communist" or "fascist" or in the USSR similarly applies the word "capitalist" -- all these are either relying on popular passion or invoking the self-interest of the crowd. Mark Antony's funeral oration is an often cited instance of this maneuver. The issues that the Roman public was called upon to face were, (1) Had Caesar been guilty of conspiring to overthrow the Republic? and (2) Should any action be taken against the assassins? Mark Antony's speech says nothing of the issues. Instead, he reminds the audience that they once loved Caesar,
You all did love him once, not without cause.exhibits Caesar's blood-stained mantle,
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;implies the conspirator's motives were personal,What private griefs they have, alas, I know not, that made them do it:assures the audience he, Antony, is a guileless man,I am no orator, as Brutus is:and, to cap his case, alleges Caesar's will leaves his property to public uses,
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,To every Roman citizen he gives,This persuades the mob; they troop off ready to avenge Caesar, Incidentally, by saying over and over again, "Rut Brutus is an honorable man," Antony raises the issue of the conspirator's honor which, otherwise, would not be in question.
To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.
EXAMPLE COMMENT Peter is running for city coroner against an opponent who is a recent comer to the town. Peter addresses his audience, "I was born in this town and have lived here all my life. I went to Abraham Lincoln school, and probably some of you still haven't forgotten the time I struck out in the tenth inning of the Medfield game." Peter appeals ad populum by stirring up the home-folks' prejudice. Long familiarity with a locality is a qualification for some offices, none at all for tfoe duties of a coroner. A milkman is soliciting orders for a small dairy. "The 'big three' dairies do 80 per cent of the business in this town while the small ones like ours get along on the remaining 20 per cent. I certainly appreciate everyone who helps give the little fellow a chance around here." This is ad populum to anti-monopoly or pro-little businessman sentiment. A soap box orator exclaims, "Those high priests of finance, the brokers, bankers and corporate directors of Wall Street, have only one thing in their hearts -- the sacred dividend check!" This appeal to popular passions is of the kind commonly known as "name calling." The device is stock in trade for demagogues. The essence of name calling is relying on prejudicial terminology (see #13) to evoke popular passion -- "high priests of finance," "Wall Street," "The sacred dividend check." Inflection of the voice or a context of epithet can make a name like "Wall Street" into a term of abuse. Appeals to personal self-interest are on the same level as appeals to popular passion. We notice how Mark Antony's funeral oration played on the mob's sense of loyalty, on the feeling that personal motives are out of place in state affairs, on faith in those who lack guile; yet it was holding out seventy-five drachmas "to every several man" which climaxed the scene. Personal self-interest or the appeal ad personam is a simple fallacy, the country cousin of ad populum.
EXAMPLE COMMENT Peter is talking to his friend Paul, "I'd advise you not to oppose the new Building Code, not vocally at least. The contractors are behind it, and you've got a lumber yard to keep out of the red. Just a tip to tell you what's good for you." Peter shows adroitness in getting at Paul's self-interest. Sometimes personal reasons will overweigh a thousand sound arguments.