Refraction (Bent Thinking) of The Day #22

False Appeal to Authority: Appealing to someone who is either 1) not a bona fide authority, or 2) not an authority in the area under discussion. Refutation: Just because someone is well known or an expert in another field, that are not necessarily an expert in the field needed for claims in the current discussion.  Example:  Abby: Bob, contraceptive use does not promote promiscuity. Hilary Clinton strongly denied this claim in a speech yesterday. Side Note: For a person to be a bona fide authority, this person need to be someone who is recognized by their peers as having special knowledge or experience in their field.  Typically this is shown by having had articles by them published in peer reviewed professional journals.