Fallacies are seen everywhere. They are seen everywhere for a reason: when used in the proper (and I use "proper" lightly) they are effective. But what are they? When used in writing as logical fallacies they are arguments or statements meant to mislead the reader. Is it okay to use them? I think that this is a complex question that really has no right or wrong answer. I personally think that it must be looked at on a case by case basis. I don't think that they are ethical, because purposefully leading people astray and basically lying to them does not sound ethical on any level. However, I think that using an effective fallacy may be excusable when it is done to raise awareness or support for a good cause.  The problem with this is that an author who is passionate enough about an issue to write about it while likely feel like it is a good cause, and more often than not there are multiple sides to an issues. Out of this arises multiple authors representing multiple sides, and multiple sides being argued with fallacies because each author feels they represent a good cause. This makes for a confusing situation and could mean that the most convincing author is not the one who represents the best cause, but the one who uses a logical fallacy most effectively.  Do I feel comfortable using them in my own writing? Just as with my general analysis of fallacies, I think that use of fallacies in my own writing is dependent upon the situation. While I am hesitant to throw in fallacies in my writing to argue any point, I feel more comfortable in using them when I feel that I am writing about an important cause. Once again, using a fallacy is really just a judgement call. While not ethical, it could be used as a means to a greater good.