What it is
Rejecting a position because a disliked group also holds it.
In the wild
That group supports the policy, so it must be bad.
How to answer it
Ask whether the shared conclusion rests on shared reasons. Usually it does not.
Attacks on the source
Guilt by association
Also called Association fallacy
In depth
Origin and naming
Also called the association fallacy, it runs in both directions — guilt by association damns and honor by association flatters. Its modern infamy comes from the McCarthy-era loyalty hearings, where proximity to the accused was treated as evidence against the associate.
More places it shows up
A city council member's transit plan lands badly after opponents keep noting that a widely despised former mayor once proposed something with the same name.
A founder rejects collaboration with a capable engineer because the engineer's previous employer was a company the founder publicly feuds with.
Commenters declare a charity fundraiser corrupt after discovering that an influencer they dislike promoted it first.
Neighbors oppose a weekend farmers' market because a fringe political group campaigned for a similar one in another district.
How to spot it
- Notice when the case against an idea is a guest list rather than an argument.
- Notice when the speaker spends more time naming who agrees than why they agree.
- Notice when you feel pushed to recoil from a position before you have heard its reasons.