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The Genetic Fallacy

The Genetic Fallacy. Beth herold. What is it?. The Genetic fallacy occurs when we refute a claim solely based upon it’s origins Also Known As: Fallacy of Origins or Fallacy of Virtue

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The Genetic Fallacy

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  1. The Genetic Fallacy Beth herold

  2. What is it? • The Genetic fallacy occurs when we refute a claim solely based upon it’s origins • Also Known As: Fallacy of Origins or Fallacy of Virtue • “Genetic accounts of an issue may be true, and they may help illuminate the reasons why the issues has assumed it’s present form, but they are irrelevant to it’s merits.” – With good reason: An Introduction to Informal Fallacies (pg.198)

  3. Similar to: • Ad Hominem although where the ad hominem fallacy occurs when we attack a specific person in place of the claim they make • “The genetic fallacy is often considered to be a blanket category for all fallacies that mistake an attack on a source for an attack on the claim in question… we reserve the use of the term “genetic fallacy” for cases where it isn’t a person that is disparaged as the source of a claim but some other kind of entity – a club, a political party, an industrial group, or even an entire epoch” – pg. 214

  4. This happens when… • We refute a proposal on the grounds that it was part of the Republican or Democratic party platform • We refute a policy on the ground that a slave-holding state in the nineteenth century originated it

  5. Example 1 – From the book • “Harvard now takes the position that its investment in urban redevelopment projects will be limited to projects that are environmentally friendly. Before you conclude that this is such a swell idea, stop and think. For a long time, Harvard was one of the biggest slumlords in the country.” • - Pg. 215, #4

  6. Example 2 – From the book • Capital punishment was invented during barbaric times. No civilized society ought to tolerate it. • Pg. 215, #5

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