Question #2

2) An “audience fallacy” is a logical fallacy that directs the audience’s attention from the actual argument to the character of the person.  An “authorial fallacy” likewise directs one’s attention to the author, or the author’s intentions, as opposed to the actual content of the author’s work.  We try to avoid logical fallacies because they weaken our arguments and harm our ability to persuade others.  The Declaration of Independence is an “audience fallacy.”  The authors state as logical fact that that we humans receive “inalienable rights from our creator” and then the vast majority of the Declaration criticizes King George III personally, directing attention to him as the object of hatred.  An “authorial fallacy” would discount a writer’s logical argument by pointing out that he was a communist and hated America, even though his points may be valid.