Logical Fallacy of Argument to the Purse / Argumentum Ad Crumenam /  Appeal to Poverty / Argumentum ad Lazarum

The logical fallacy of argument to the purse occurs when someone reasons that how rich or poor a person is determines the soundness of their argument.

Examples of the Logical Fallacy of Argument to the Purse / Argumentum Ad Crumenam /  Appeal to Poverty / Argumentum ad Lazarum

 Fiddler on the roof: “When you're rich, they think you really know!”

With humor it’s recognized that people do think this way, but, the way it’s put, the implication is that it is not necessarily so.

Ecclesiastes: “Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.“

Whoever wrote Ecclesiastes knew that the poor may be wise but that people won’t recognize it. Yet, people may listen when the solution emerges to a terrible problem. There will be no recognition afterward, however.

“If you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich.”

This old saying nails it. It implies that if you are smart you will be rich. That’s just not reasonable, and there are many exceptions.

“What would you know. You can’t even earn enough to live in a decent house.”

Dismissal of an argument simply based on how much money someone makes is not rational because it fails to assess the argument on its merits.