These are stylistic approaches or techniques investing a strong belief in something. They are majorly used in propaganda and modern advertising. More often than not, it is an energetic and highly convincing statement presented as the overall fact, although necessarily, it is not true. Such is the talk or an expression of what Richard Hare referred to as a blik since they are neither falsifiable nor verifiable.
In advertising, manufacturers or producers always state that their products are the best in the market without providing evidence as to how they reached such a conclusion. Another aspect is the application of glittering generalities; this is words that have different positive meanings from an individual’s perspective.
In politics, the voters have no inclination to verify facts on what they are told by the candidates. Hence statements have to be asserted strongly for the electorates to view them as facts, that’s the reason why those who do vie for seats to promise more than they can deliver and still manage to get away with it when they fail to make the promises real and often even get reelected.
Both in advertising and politics appealing there are words used to convince the masses in favor of product or candidate, the target of the advertiser is to make believe the highest number of people that the product the advertiser presents to the market is the best. He also has to show that an individual should acquire it soonest while in politics, a candidate would use this method so as to convince the highest electorate to vote for him while at the same time be not liable to the election promises he or she makes that may not indeed be accomplished by him or her.
Just like in politics and advertising, to reach the desired consumer or voter, the advertiser undertakes a background study of a user or voter by collecting data on factors like location, age, gender and likes. This data is used by the advertiser and the candidate’s campaign team to tailor-make the advert by coining words and graphics that will appeal to the liking of the target group ensuring maximum impact on sales increments and vote acquisition.
The above examples give a clear distinct on how pseudo-assertion is used in politics and advertisement. In both politics and advertisement, the bottom line is being able to convince the highest number of people making it one of the prime areas where assertions are made use of so as to deliver the masses in favor of the applicant. It requires that the statements used receive no backup or explanation and that it is to be accepted without question. This art has been perfected by both the advertising markets and their political counterparts that are chiefly deemed at swaying the masses to their favor. An example is how this aspect is applied in the beauty industry with every product marketer claiming in their adverts that they product is the number one in the market and that it provides all the answers to the real and imagined skin conditions, an assertion that can never be proved. In politics, a case of Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again’’ is a good example that leaves one wondering what has gone wrong in America that Trump is looking forward to correcting and at what cost. Calling other opponents names while campaigning is purely irrelevant and does not really add to pseudo-assertion but mud sliding.
Pseudo-assertion has been employed by individuals all walks of life and backgrounds with the aim of winning the majority in their favor, be it the advertising world, politics and religion among other.
Works cited
Decker, Jason. “Disagreement in Philosophy.” The Palgrave Handbook of Philosophical Methods. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2015. 133-157.