Description:
A False Allegiance is a nasty religion method by which an individual pretends to belong to a gaggle and makes an attempt to take advantage of this professed false allegiance for persuasive functions. Whereas it may be used along side Hijacking, the distinction is that False Allegiance includes a false declare of membership whereas Hijacking includes pretending to agree with one thing to make use of it as a persuasive instrument.
If somebody makes use of a False Allegiance to trigger hurt to the goal group by means of claims and arguments, this may be, maybe a bit dramatically, known as a False Flag. For instance, a international agent would possibly faux to be a member of BLM and submit inflammatory feedback on Twitter. The identical agent may additionally faux to be a Proud Boy and submit inflammatory feedback, even perhaps in response to their faux BLM posts.
As could be anticipated, accusing a member of a gaggle of getting a False Allegiance can be a rhetorical method. See the Attraction to Purity fallacy for a way this tactic can work.
As a fallacy, one type includes trying to influence members of the goal group to just accept a declare primarily based on a false declare of allegiance. It has this way:
Premise 1: Particular person A falsely claims membership in Group G.
Premise 2: Particular person A makes declare C to members of G.
Conclusion: Members of G ought to settle for declare C.
These utilizing this method normally make use of different fallacies, akin to Attraction to Group Id, to take advantage of their false declare of group membership. Their intent is to get members of the goal group to provide their declare or argument extra credence just because they profess to be a member of that group. The particular person utilizing the fallacy may additionally try to boost it by claiming things like that they’re a devoted member of the group or that they’ve been within the group a very long time.
The False Flag variant would appear to be this:
Premise 1: Particular person A falsely claims membership in Group G.
Premise 2: Particular person A makes declare or argument C with the intent of harming G.
Conclusion: C ought to be accepted as representing G.
These utilizing this variant will usually use different fallacies and rhetorical strategies together with the False Flag. For instance, they may make use of Attraction to Concern or Attraction to Anger to boost the response to their declare. As with the opposite variant, the particular person utilizing this can usually declare that they’re loyal, very long time, or mainstream member of the group.
Alternatively, the particular person would possibly declare to be disenchanted with the group or a former member. This method could make dangerous claims seem extra believable as a result of the particular person seems to have been able to “know the reality” and to have a reputable motive for making dangerous claims. For instance, somebody would possibly faux to be a former Republican who left the social gathering as a result of they hate Donald Trump. As one other instance, somebody would possibly profess to have left the Democratic Get together as a result of they turned “too woke.” This method makes it simpler to make use of fallacies akin to Straw Man when making an attempt to hurt the goal group. It is because a former or disenchanted member would appear extra credible saying adverse issues than somebody who claims to be a loyal and present member of the group.
Protection: Mendacity about being a member of a gaggle will not be a logical fallacy however is clearly a nasty religion method. If somebody’s False Allegiance is revealed, this doesn’t in itself show that their declare is fake, or their argument is flawed. As at all times, claims and arguments ought to be assessed on their very own deserves. It does, nonetheless, significantly cut back their credibility.
Whereas an individual’s actual allegiance can generally be decided, the web makes this tough. In spite of everything, anybody can faux to be something. Teams clearly even have dissenters and excessive members, so what would possibly seem like a False Allegiance or perhaps a False Flag may not be. Happily, defending towards False Allegiance doesn’t require that you already know the allegiance is fake. Within the case of the primary model, the protection is like that used towards Attraction to Group Id and comparable fallacies: believing a declare simply because it comes from (what seems to be) one’s group could be an error.
The protection towards the False Flag variant is to needless to say a dangerous declare made by a (alleged) member of a gaggle doesn’t, in itself, present that the declare is consultant of that group. See, for instance, Straw Man: Nut Choosing.
Instance #1
Ralph (who will not be a Democrat): “As a very long time Democrat who labored exhausting to get Obama elected, I can say that I’ve had it with cancel tradition. I’m disgusted and angered that my social gathering is now towards free speech. I’m enthusiastic about voting for the Republicans this 12 months and assume it’s best to too.”
Instance #2
Ralph (who will not be a Republican): “As a very long time Republican who labored exhausting for our social gathering, I can say that I’ve had it with their racism, sexism, and homophobia. I’m disgusted and angered that my social gathering is not actually the social gathering of Lincoln. I’m enthusiastic about voting for the Democrats this 12 months and assume it’s best to too.”
Instance #3
Sally (who will not be in BLM): “I cherished being in BLM at first. I assumed I used to be serving to individuals. However then I discovered the reality: they don’t consider that All Lives Matter however that solely Black Lives Matter. This made me so mad that I give up. You all have to get up and be awake fairly than woke!”
Instance #4
Sally (who will not be within the NRA): “I cherished being within the NRA at first. I assumed I used to be serving to individuals be taught gun security and preventing to guard the Second Modification. However then I discovered the reality: they’re secretly managed by Hillary Clinton and their high members run her youngster slavery ring! This made me so mad that I give up. You all have to get up and go away the NRA!”
