appeal to authority : Java Glossary

Appeal to Authority

Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using his memory.

~ Leonardo da Vinci (1452-04-15 1519-05-02 age:67)

A logical fallacy. You assert something must be true just because some authority said so, despite evidence to the contrary.

This reminds me of an ancient Roman joke. Two men met in the street. The first said I thought you were dead. The second says No, no. I am quite alive. See, look at me carefully. The first said I don’t know. Claudius told me you were dead, and he has a much better reputation for truth than you do.