Asking the Right Questions, A Guide to Critical Thinking, 8th Ed

116 Chapter 8
Passage 2
CONCLUSION: Botox injections are safe.
REASON: A cosmetic surgeon and a state professional organization claim Botox is safe.
How much should we depend on these appeals to authority? Not much.
First, both authorities are likely to be very biased. They stand to gain financially
by making safety claims. Dr. Worries' testimony is especially suspect because it
is based on her experiences only. She has probably not sought out evidence
of failures. The claims of the professional organization are as questionable as
those of Dr. Worries because the organization is comprised of cosmetic
surgeons, who probably perform Botox injections. If the organization were to
have offered some sort of systematic research for why Botox is safe, perhaps its
claims would be less suspect.