ANALYTICAL SKILLS - FALLACY OF IRRELEVANCE

G15
T1
AMELIA KOH RUI EN
BERNARD LIP WEI XIAN
CAREL CHUA BOON YUEN
GERALD TAN JIAMIN
JEREMY ZHONG JIAHAO
ANALYTICAL SKILLS

AGENDA
DEFINITION OF FALLACY
Formal
Informal
3 FALLACIES OF
IRRELEVANCE
APPEAL TO PITY
APPEAL TO POPULARITY
ARGUMENT AGAINST THE PERSON
REAL-LIFE SCENARIO

3 FALLACIES OF
IRRELEVANCE
Definition
Structure
Textbook Example
Our Examples
Examples that
SEEM LIKE Fallacies
but... are NOT

DEFINITION OF FALLACY
A FALLACY IS ARGUMENT BASED ON
INVALID OR FALSE REASONING
FORMAL FALLACY
INFORMAL FALLACY

FORMAL FALLACY
Argument
that contains a
MISTAKE
in REASONING
because of its
STRUCTURE

If you have big juggs,
then you are a girl.
P
Q
I am a girl. Therefore,
I have big juggs.
Q
P
QUICK EXAMPLE of FORMAL FALLACY

INFORMAL FALLACY
Argument
that contains a
MISTAKE
in REASONING
BEYONDIts
STRUCTURE
CONTENT-SENSITIVE
INSPECT CONTENT

FALLACY OF IRRELEVANCE
Argues from the
premises that have
NO LOGICAL
RELEVANCE
to the
CONCLUSION

APPEAL TO
PITY
Fallacy in which someone
tries to win support
of an argument by exploiting other
people's feelings of pity.

STRUCTURE of
APPEAL to PITY
[1] Describe a situation by appealing
to people’s emotion to create PITY.
(IRRELEVANT)
[2] Therefore, we should accept the
conclusion.

TEXTBOOK Example
Surely, I’m not guilty.
But if you find me guilty then...
my reputation will be ruined,
I’ll lose my job and then my kids will starve.
Your Honour, I admit I declared
thirteen children as dependents on
my tax return although I have only
two.

Example #1
Listen Carel… I know you’re angry that I
COMPLETELY IGNORED your phone calls last night.
But hey, I made you flowers. Honestly, it wasn’t easy
man! It took me 3 days 2 sleepless nights. I was
attacked by King Cobras and even rolled down the hill
while plucking these beautiful flowers.
Look at these wounds here man! But it’s worth it
anyway.
You should forgive and make love with me now!

Example #2
Without these bouncy perky ladies by my side, your
son here couldn’t type a single word.
Son: Hey Mum! What’s the big deal
about me WOMANIZING around?!
Mum: You have a girlfriend damnit!
Son: You see, this $1,000,000project had been
extremely stressful and I haven’t been sleeping for 7 days
already! Things had been really hard for me. I am not used to
this level of work.

Example #3
Hey! Listen up Prof… Ryan Mooneh cried all
night because his pet dog tore up all of his
favorite P********* Magazines. Can you
imagine this happening to you!?
Therefore, you should excuse him for coming to
AS lesson DEAD DRUNK.

... If Premises are RELEVANT
It is NOTA Fallacy ...
BEWARE!

Paul was forced at gunpoint to
drink three gallons of stouts to
save his poor old diabetic, crippled
and cancerous mother who was
held by the rapist that had a fetish
for old woman.
Therefore you should excuse him for
coming to class drunk as a skunk.
NON-FALLACY #1

for old woman.
NON-FALLACY #1
RE

for old woman.
NON-FALLACY #1
JUSTIFIED
REASONING

argues that a claim
MUST BE TRUE
because...
most people believe in it
- OR -
because...
most people are favorably inclined.
APPEAL TO
POPULARITY

STRUCTURE of
APPEAL to POPULARITY

MOST (or many or all) people
believe X is true.
Therefore, X is true.
Everyone is doing X, therefore
you should do X.
STRUCTURE of
APPEAL to POPULARITY
BELIEF
ACTION
1
2

TEXTBOOK Example
MOST people who followed the recent
American Idol TV show voted for
Kelly Clarkson.
Therefore, she must be the best singer.
Structure: Everyone is doing X, therefore you should do X.

Example #1
MOST MEN that are successful in career has a
beautiful and sexy woman with big bouncy jugs
rooting for them.
Therefore, you should marry a sexy lady with
big bouncy jugs too.
Structure: Everyone is doing X,
therefore you should do X.

EVERYBODY believes that
Guinness Stout is a GOD-sent
drink from heaven that
sanctifies the soul and
elevates one to the seat of god.
Therefore, it must be so.
Example #2
Structure: Everyone is
doing X, therefore you
should do X.

My girlfriend is really beautiful.
I so want her to be my wife.
Do you know that MOST GUYS
who make 1,000 roses and gave it
to their beautiful girlfriend
is successful when proposing.
Therefore, you should definitely do
it too.
Okay, I am so going to make 1,000
roses and get her as my wife!
Example #3
Student:
Prof:
Student:

... If conclusion is drawn from
the premises as a RESULT of
or SOCIAL CONVENTION
BEWARE!
POPULARITY

Manchester United FC has
659 MILLION FANS
worldwide, the most of any
football club.
They must be really popular.
POPULARITY

MOST PEOPLE
agree that walking up
to a random stranger
and grabbing their
buttocks just because
...it is warm brown and
juicy is WRONG!
SOCIAL CONVENTION
Therefore, you must keep your hands to yourself!

ARGUMENT
AGAINST THE
PERSON
1
Circumstantial
2
3
(argumentum ad hominem)
You Too
ABUSIVE
(Tu quoque)

Argument Against the Person
Suggests that
the ARGUER is
BIASED
to take a particular position.
Therefore, the argument is
INVALID!
(APPEAL to Motive, PERSONAL INTEREST, Arguments from motives)
Circumstantial

STRUCTURE of
Circumstantial

Because of X’s circumstances,
X has a motive for arguing Z.
Therefore, X’s argument is
FAULTY/FALSE
STRUCTURE of
AATP (CIRCUMSTANTIAL)

TEXTBOOK Example
As a Catholic, what else would you
expect him to say?
The POPE has given reasons
why abortion is wrong...
But we can forget all of that.

Ryan claims that we shouldn’t
discriminate guys with MOOBS
because some guys are just genetically
prone to developing them!
Well, look at those melons that he has!
Surely he’s saying this only because he
has those two huge honkers like
Mount Everest and Mount Fuji on his
chest! Don’t listen to him!
Example #1

Example #2
Paul claims that
HOT SEX makes one happy
and that
everyone should have
HOT SEX everyday!
But he’s such a sexual
deviant!
Therefore, we know that
what he says most certainly
isn’t true!

Prof Mooney says that we should
spend more time on AS.
We can disregard this as he is an
AS prof and he has a biased
interest in wanting us to focus on
his subject.
Example #3

Attacks the arguer rather
than the argument itself.
(Personal ABUSE, Personal ATTACK, DAMNING the Source)
ABUSIVE
Arguer is bad ≠ His argument is bad.
The attack on the person is
IRRELEVANT
to the argument made.

STRUCTURE of
ABUSIVE

There is something
OBJECTIONABLE about X.
Therefore, X’s argument is
FAULTY!
STRUCTURE of
ABUSIVE

TEXTBOOK Example
So, his argument that the
legal system is corrupt is nonsense.
Paul is a
criminal and
a wife beater.

Ryan Mooneh looks like
a young innocent chap
that takes his work
seriously…
Therefore, you can’t take
his advice on sex.
Example #1

Example #2
Therefore, his claim to be a
responsible teacher who
cares deeply about his
students is poppycock!
Ryan drinks beer as if his liver has
been touched by the hand of God and
is immune to the effects of alcohol
poisoning.

Ryan slouches and I’ve caught him
grinning at those girls’ bountiful
bosoms with drool coming out of the
side of his mouth – he looks like an
absolute PERVERT!
Therefore, he can’t be a good
accountant and as he claims and he
should be fired!
Example #3

... IF PERSONAL FLAWS of CHARACTERS ARe
LOGICALLY RELEVANT
to the CONCLUSION
BEWARE!
... CHARACTER COUNTS!
... NOT a
FALLACY

Therefore, we shouldn’t listen to his claim to
be a good father and husband.
NON-FALLACY Example
Paul is irresponsible at work and
it is well known to his friends
and neighbors that he treats his
family with disdain.

(HYPOCRISY, Personal INCONSISTENCY)
You Too
Claiming that the
ARGUMENT is FLAWED
by pointing out that the ARGUER is
NOT ACTING
CONSISTENTLY
with the claims of the argument

STRUCTURE of
YOU TOO

X Argues
it is WRONG to do Z
But X does Z.
Thus X’s argument is faulty (or has a
false conclusion or can be ignored).
STRUCTURE of
YOU TOO

Harry: It’s wrong to rush the train door
because if everybody did so then there
would be chaos.
Larry: Nonsense! You do it ALL THE TIME!
TEXTBOOK Example

Example #1
Ryan Mooneh says it is
WRONG to be boastful yet he
raves about his handsome
looks every lesson.
Therefore, we know that it
IS ALRIGHT to be boastful.

Therefore, we can conclude that what he says
is false after all!
Example #2
Ryan preaches that physical
looks aren’t all that
important.
Yet he falls in love on first
sight with every pretty girl
he meets.

APPEAL TO
PITY
Amelia, come back to me!
I have a high fever and I searched five
whole estates to get you this bottle of
herbal drink.
I’m such a nice person and that’s why
you should love me. LOVE MEEHHH

APPEAL TO
POPULARITY
WHAT?! Why?!
I’m the most popular guy in SMU
and everyone loves me.
Even more so than that guy over there.
And hey, that’s why you should love me!

Circumstantial
Is it because of Carel?! Why are you
dating Carel?
She claims to be really kind and caring.
But as someone who’s dating you, of
course she would say that lah!!
And you kept saying no, NO , NO ,NO.
Can’t you say anything other than ‘no’?

ABUSIVE
Carol is such a NERD! She
definitely can’t be a good
lover like she claim she is.
Come back to me, Amelia!

(HYPOCRISY, Personal INCONSISTENCY)
You Too
Carol is so full of rubbish!
You Too!
So no. But I am thirsty.
Fine. Let’s go drink some
guinness stout.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS - FALLACY OF IRRELEVANCE

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