Refuting Arguments Recognizing Fallacies

1. Refuting ArgumentsRecognizing Fallacies Honors Language Arts 10 Persuasive Research Speech

2. Refute Definition To Disprove, to prove to be false.

3. Purpose • When you persuade someone, you will need to concern yourself with those who either disagree with you or have no opinion at all. Consider the audience! • Think about biases, or prejudices, your audience might have. Be prepared to refute any objections, or counterarguments readers may propose.

4. Refute the logic Think about the opposing argument. Is their argument logical? • Use complete information to support solid arguments against faulty logic. • Check for generalizations. • Check that inductive and deductive arguments are used in the right way. • Use solid data that is hard to challenge • Look for bias, intentional or otherwise, and point out the flaws in logic.

5. Recognizing fallacies (errors in logic) can help you identify an error in an opposing argument!

6. Post hoc ergo Propter hoc “after it, therefore because of it”Fallacy This fallacy assumes that just because y follows x, x causes y. It sets up a cause/effect relationship but identifies a cause that’s wrong or only one of several.

7. Black and White Fallacy This reduces complex situations to two alternatives, one black and one white. Presents only two alternatives or outcomes, as if there were only town, when there are really more.

8. Faulty Analogy Fallacy Fallacy in which x and y are alike, but not in the features that matter to the argument. Sometimes comparisons appear to be analogous but they really are not. Don’t be fooled by a clever, but sneaky writer or a not-so-clever one who just doesn’t see the fault in his/her reasoning.

9. Genetic Fallacy Arguing that the behavior, personality, abilities etc…are a result of ethnicity or genetics.

10. Ad hominem (to the person) Fallacy This is a personal attack that has nothing to do with logic. It’s different from a Tu quoque argument because there’s no comparison used.

11. Game Time! • Decide whether or not each of the following statements are fallible or infallible. • The room will be divided in half-choose one spokesperson from each side to say the groups’ final answer. • The side of the room to get the most correct will get some candy! 

12. Herbert Hoover single-handedly created the depression. Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc (“after it, therefore because of it”)

13. If President George Bush hadn’t been in office for so long our nation wouldn’t be in shambles. Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc (“after it, therefore because of it”)

14. Surveys showed that married men are happier than unmarried men. Answer: Faulty Analogy

15. Marijuana use should remain illegal because it’s a first step toward the more serious drugs; most heroin addicts started with marijuana. Answer: Faulty Analogy

16. If you’re not following recycling laws, you don’t care about your environment. Answer: Pot hoc ergo propter hoc (“After it, therefore because of it”)

17. You’ll never understand health care reform because you’re a republican. Answer: Ad hominem (to the person)

18. In the coming election you have a choice between voting for me or voting for fiscal irresponsibility. Answer: Black and White

19. People trapped in the ghetto have two choices in life: be a menial laborer and starve or take to crime. Answer: Black and White

20. No way would he do that; his dad’s a doctor. Answer: Genetic Fallacy

21. "Forcing students to attend cultural events is like herding cattle to slaughter. The students stampede in to the event where they are systematically ‘put to sleep’ by the program." Answer: Faulty Analogy

22. When you recognize fallacies in arguments you can point out these holes to refute them! Check out this example…

23. If you’re not following recycling laws, you don’t care about your environment. This is an example of the “Pot hoc ergo propter hoc” fallacy that suggests a cause/effect relationship but it is only one of several. Refuting example: It is not true that not following recycling laws implies that you don not care about the environment because there are several ways to show disrespect towards the environment in addition to refusing to follow recycling laws, such as simply leaving your lights on when you leave the house.