created by [deleted] on 26/08/2020 at 18:08 UTC
2 upvotes, 5 top-level comments (showing 5)
If i am sick, i will go to a doctor. He will tell me what to do, prescribe me a medicine and i will go home. I will do what he says and i will (hopefully) get better. But the only reason i do what he says is because i believe that he know better than me because he has a certain title, title of a doctor, and a degree that goes along with it. Is that not an argument from authority?
Comment by Voltairinede at 26/08/2020 at 18:24 UTC
14 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Arguments from legitimate authority are legitimate.
Comment by justanediblefriend at 26/08/2020 at 18:21 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
What would you say you mean by 'argument from authority' here?
Comment by AutoModerator at 26/08/2020 at 18:08 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
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Comment by pop_philosopher at 26/08/2020 at 19:03 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Not really. If you get infection and a doctor tells you to take penicillin, the argument isn't "you should take penicillin because I am a doctor," the argument is "you should take penicillin because that will make your infection go away." The fact that a doctor is an authority on medical knowledge is more of an explanation of why the doctor knows what will make your infection go away.
Further, it's not that we trust doctors merely because they have a certain title, but because even us non-doctors have a general idea of what it took to get that degree. We know that medical school is a rigorous program, and that one must demonstrate legitimate knowledge and skills to pass it and obtain the degree.
Comment by [deleted] at 26/08/2020 at 21:08 UTC*
-1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
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