appeal to consequences

Appeal to consequences, also known as argumentum ad consequentiam (Latin: argument to the consequences), seen by some to be a logical fallacy, consists of deducing the falsity of a conclusion (specifically a belief) from the negative or positive consequences that would follow belief. Some examples:

"You cannot believe that water companies should belong to the public. Think of all the utility shares our family owns!".
"God must exist: so many people find happiness in religion."
"God must not exist: religious people still act badly."

In a sense, this fallacy is like confusing the consequences of a conclusion with evidence for the truth of that conclusion. The argumentum ad baculum is a special case of appeal to consequences. Compare to:

wishful thinking
appeal to fear
argumentum ad hominem circumstantial form

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