Poisoning the Well Fallacy

Haley Fisher

Kori Renick

Sydney Wininger

Description of Poisoning the Well

This sort of “reasoning” involves trying to discredit what a person might later claim by presenting unfavorable information (be it true or false)

about the person. This “argument” has the following form:

• Unfavorable information (be it true or false) about person A is presented.

• Therefore any claims person A makes will be false.

This sort of “reasoning” is obviously fallacious. The person making such an attack is hoping that the unfavorable information will bias listeners against the person in question and hence that they will

reject any claims he might make.

Universal Example

Donald Trump presses for President Obama’s birth certificate on The View:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51855.html

Examples from the Crucible:

1.) Act 3: pg. 211

Cheever: He plow on Sunday, sir.

Danforth: Plow on Sunday!Cheever: I think it be evidentee,

John. I am an official of the court, I cannot keep it.

Proctor: I-I have once or twice plowed on Sunday. I have 3 children, sir, and until last year my land gave little.

Giles: You’ll find other Christians that do plow on Sunday if the

truth be known

2.) Act 2: pg. 199

Hale: How comes it that only two [sons] are baptized.

Proctor: I like it not that Mr. ParrisShould lay his hand upon my baby.I see no light of God in that man.

I’ll not conceal it.

Examples continued. . .

3.) Act 2: pg.198

Hale: Good, then. In the book of record that Mr. Parris keeps, I note that you are rarely in the

church on Sabbath Day.

Proctor: No, sir, you are mistaken.

Hale: Twenty-six time in seventeen month, sir. I must call that rare. Will you tell me

why you are so absent?

4.) Act 3: pg. 208

Danforth: Who is this man?Parris: Giles Corey,sir, and a

More contentious-

Examples continued. . .

5.) Act 3: pg. 226Mary Warren: He come at me by night

and everyday, to sign, to sign, to-

Danforth: Sign what?

Parris: The Devil’s book? He come with a book?

Mary Warren: My name, he want my name. “I’ll murder you,” he says, “if

my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court,” he says.

Citations

• The Nizkor Project. Fallacy: Poisoning the Well. Nizkor, 2009. Web. 13 April 2011.

• “Trump’s Birther Point.” The View. ABC.KABC-TV, Los Angeles. 23 March 2011. Television.

• gfanimate. “Witch Stirring Pot.” 2009. Microsoft Clip Art file.