Appeal to Reality Fallacy

A more arrogant and absolute version of the "Appeal to Real Life" fallacy. This move claims a monopoly on defining objective "reality" itself, dismissing counter-arguments as not just mistaken but existing in a fantasy realm. It often conflates practical constraints with metaphysical necessity, declaring that one's own view of how things are is the only possible description of reality, making alternative futures or structures "unrealistic" by fiat.

Appeal to Reality Fallacy Example: "Thinking we can achieve world peace is naive. Reality is that humans are inherently tribal and violent. Anyone who believes otherwise is a child." This fallacy elevates a specific philosophical claim about human nature (or current political realities) to the status of an unchangeable cosmic law, using "reality" as a bludgeon to outlaw hope or imagination.

by Abzugal February 3, 2026