← Fallacy Library
Appeal to Futility
Logical fallacyArguing that an action is not worth taking because it will not, by itself, solve the whole problem. It mistakes a contribution for a complete solution.
An everyday example
“My single vote won't decide the election, so there's no point voting.”
The same move in this debate
“One person going vegan won't change anything.”
Where this appears
One person can't make a differenceEnvironment
Treats a contribution as worthless because it is not individually decisive. Applied consistently this rules out voting, jury service and tax, which few people are willing to accept.
I'm waiting for everyone else to change firstSocial & Practical
Treats an individual contribution as pointless because it is not sufficient on its own, which is the condition of every collective undertaking.