What does Argumentum ad Lazarum imply about wealth and virtue?

Argumentum ad Lazarum, or the appeal to the poor, suggests that poverty is often associated with higher moral standing or virtue. This fallacy implies that individuals who are impoverished possess inherent qualities of goodness simply because of their circumstances, disregarding the complexities of morality and ethics that can exist across different socioeconomic statuses. The reasoning behind this is that those who suffer from misfortune, such as poverty, may demonstrate admirable qualities like resilience, compassion, and altruism.

In this context, the assertion that those who are poor are inherently more virtuous aligns with the underlying message of Argumentum ad Lazarum by promoting the notion that poverty is indicative of moral superiority, even though this perspective can overlook the reality that virtue exists across all societal levels. Wealth and virtue are not inherently linked, making this viewpoint distinct to the argument presented by the term.