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Logical Fallacies

Fallacy

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Logical Fallacies

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    1. Logical Fallacies What is wrong with these statements?

    2. Fallacy #1 "My roommate said her philosophy class was hard, and the one I'm in is hard, too. All philosophy classes must be hard!” What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: This makes assumptions about a whole group or range of cases based on a sample that is inadequate (usually because it is atypical or just too small). (Stereotypes fall into this category.) HASTY GENERALIZATION

    3. Fallacy #2 "President Jones raised taxes, and then the rate of violent crime went up. Jones is responsible for the rise in crime." What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: Just because event B came after A, doesn’t mean A caused B. Often there are multiple, equally influential causes for one effect. In order to validly claim which was the true cause, all the other possible causes must first be ruled out. Don’t oversimplify causal relationships. POST HOC FALLACY

    4. Fallacy #3 "If I fail English 101, I won't be able to graduate. If I don't graduate, I probably won't be able to get a good job, and I may very well end up doing temp work or flipping burgers for the next year.“ What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: The arguer claims that a sort of chain reaction, usually ending in some dire consequence, will take place, but there's really not enough evidence for that assumption. The arguer asserts that if we take even one step onto the "slippery slope," we will end up sliding all the way to the bottom; he or she assumes we can't stop halfway down the hill. SLIPPERY SLOPE FALLACY

    5. Fallacy #4 "Gay marriages are just immoral. 70% of Americans think so!" What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: The arguer takes advantage of the desire most people have to be liked and to fit in with others and uses that desire to try to get the audience to accept his or her argument. He is appealing “to the people.” But just because most people think it, doesn’t mean it’s true. Remember, Hitler was popular in Germany during his reign. AD POPULEM FALLACY

    6. Fallacy #5 Dr. Smith, a marriage counselor, is divorced. Why should we listen to him? What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: The ethical position of the speaker has no bearing on the truth of the statement; it only affects whether the listener believes the statement. Like the ad populum fallacy, ad hominem focuses our attention on people rather than on arguments or evidence. Political commercials are notorious for this tactic. AD HOMINEM FALLACY

    7. Fallacy #6 "I know the exam is graded based on performance, but you should give me an A. My cat has been sick, my car broke down, and I've had a cold, so it was really hard for me to study!" What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: An arguer tries to get people to accept a conclusion by making them feel sorry for someone. This can be persuasive, but it should not substitute for good reasoning. APPEAL TO PITY

    8. Fallacy #7 "Caldwell Hall is in bad shape. Either we tear it down and put up a new building, or we continue to risk students' safety. Obviously we shouldn't risk anyone's safety, so we must tear the building down.“ What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: The arguer sets up the situation so it looks like there are only two choices. The arguer then eliminates one of the choices, so it seems that we are left with only one option: the one the arguer wanted us to pick in the first place. But often there are really many different options, not just two. FALSE DICHOTOMY, EITHER/OR FALLACY

    9. Fallacy #7 People who oppose women in the combat think that they are too weak and fragile to fight, but this is a poor argument; some women are better fighters than men and should be allowed to fight in combat if they wish. What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: In this fallacy, the arguer sets up a wimpy version of the opponent's position and tries to score points by knocking it down. (They point out the opponent’s hasty generalization.) But just as being able to knock down a straw man, or a scarecrow, isn't very impressive, defeating a watered-down version of your opponents' argument isn't very impressive either. Discuss their BEST arguments, not those of an ignorant person. STRAW MAN FALLACY

    10. Fallacy #8 "Grading this exam on a curve would be the most fair thing to do. After all, classes go more smoothly when the students and the professor are getting along well.“ What’s wrong with this statement? Problem: Partway through an argument, the arguer goes off on a tangent, raising a side issue that distracts the audience from what's really at stake. Often, the arguer never returns to the original issue. RED HERRING FALLACY This fallacy is named after the practice of escaped convicts using a dead fish, or “red herring,” to throw the dogs off their scent.

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