Argumentum ad ventrem, betekent letterlijk het argument van de buik (tot de buik).
Het begrip kan vele ladingen dekken:
• Het overtuigen van een groep, niet omdat iets juist is, maar omdat hetgeen bepleit wordt voor hen levensnoodzakelijk is (om de honger in de buik te stillen).
voorbeeld: de neerbuigende uitspraak van Simon Heffer in High Minds and the birth of Modern Britain: "vulgar minds can never understand the duty of reform till it is impressed on them by the argument ad ventrem".
• Het niet verder denken dan de onmiddellijke (basale) eigen behoeftebevrediging (eigen volk/zak/buik eerst):
voorbeeld: Frederck Marryat, Olla Porida Volume I, Diary on the continet, p. 67:
" As I was walking on the glacis with a friend, he pointed out of me at a window an enormous fat man smoking his pipe, and told me that he had been in Dutch service under William of Orange; but not being a very good hand at a forced march, he had been reduced with others to half pay.
He had not been in many months in retirement when he went to the palace and requested an audienve of his Majesty, and, when he admitted, stated that he had come to request that his Majesty would be pleased to put him again upon full pay.
His Majesty raised many objections, and stated his inability to comply with the request: upon which the corpulent officer exclaimed: 'My God! your Majesty, how van you imagine that I can fill this belly of mine with only half pay?'
This argumentum ad ventrem so tickeld King William, that he was put full pay unattached, and has continued so ever since.
The first instance I ever heard of a man succesfully pleading as ladies do at Old Bailey."
[De uitdrukking wordt in deze betekenis smalend ook wel eens als "Argumentum ad porcus ventrum' vermeld. (van/tot de buik van het varken).]
• "Je kan slechts keuzes maken en op de limiet slechts ethisch handelen, wanneer je geen honger hebt".