1) The document discusses how to establish the authenticity and validity of someone's knowledge claims through evidence and logical reasoning. 2) It provides examples of evidence such as documentation and eyewitnesses that can be used to verify someone's identity and claims. 3) Common logical fallacies like hasty generalizations, circular reasoning, and false dichotomies are explained, which can undermine the logical reasoning behind someone's knowledge claims if present.

1. How you know
what we know.

2. Me.
Anthony M. Odom

3. How do I know this?
I have official documents that can establish my identity
(Driver's License, Social Security Card, Birth Certificate,
Work ID)
There are people alive who know me and have known me
for years.
There are school, medical and work records that can verify
my claims.
I'm not claiming to be the King of England or the Sultan of
Brunei.

4. I can establish my identity through
evidence and logical reasoning.
Evidence:
My documentation.
My eyewitnesses.
Logical Reasoning:
There is not a compelling
reason to doubt the
authenticity of my
documents, nor the
validity of my
eyewitnesses' claims.
None of my claims are
particularly extraordinary.

5. Evidence And Logical Reasoning
This is how you know stuff.
More importantly, this is
how you know whether or
not someone else knows
stuff.

6. Testing knowledge.
Step 1: Check the physical evidence. If there is
no reason to doubt the authenticity of the
evidence, proceed to step 3. If not...
Step 2: Check the practical application or
demonstration of this knowledge.
Step 3: Check the reasoning behind the
conclusions drawn from the evidence or
demonstration for logical fallacies or bias.

7. Authenticity?
The quality of being what it appears to be.

8. Bias?
A leaning or
prejudice for or
against a person,
group, place,
thing or idea.

9. Logical Fallacies?
A mistake or a flaw in logical reasoning.

10. Common Logical Fallacy:
Hasty Generalization
a.k.a.: "Jumping to Conclusions."
Coming to a conclusion based on inaccurate or
incomplete information
Example: Joe is from Atlanta. Joe likes Pepsi.
Everybody from Atlanta likes Pepsi.

11. Common Logical Fallacy:
Post Hoc
Assuming that what came before is the cause of
what came after.
Example: "Boston won the World Series in 2004.
Barack Obama was elected in 2008. Therefore
Boston winning the World Series caused Obama
to get elected."
(The winner of the World Series has nothing to do
with presidential elections)

12. Common Logical Fallacies:
Begging the Question
a.k.a.: "Circular Reasoning."
Assuming the truth of a something with nothing
other than the claim itself to back it up.
Example: “I read on the internet that they can‟t put
anything on the internet that isn‟t true.
Therefore, everything on the internet is true.”
(“Uh ... „bon jour!‟”)

13. Common Logical Fallacies:
Special Pleading
a.k.a.: "Stacking the deck," "Moving the goalposts,"
"Ignoring the counter-evidence," "rationalizing."
Making up an excuse for why your claim proved false.
Example: "Joe's magic powers can't work when you are
around because you lack faith/the spirits are angry/he
needs a psychic Red Bull."
(Or Joe's a fraud, a fake, or a phony.)

14. Common Logical Fallacies:
Ad Hominem
"Of the Man"
Attacking someone's character or personal traits in
an attempt to discredit them.
"Joe can't be right about 2 and 2 making 4
because he's a recovering alcoholic who eats
kittens."
(Joe's personal issues don't make him a liar.)

15. Common Logical Fallacies:
False Dichotomy
a.k.a.: "Black or White"
Presenting a limited number of alternatives
(usually two) when actually more exist.
Example: "Either 1+1=3 or 1+1=4. 1+1 does
not equal 3, so it must equal 4."
(Ummmm......no.)

16. Common Logical Fallacies:
Confirmation Bias
a.k.a: "The Texas Sharpshooter," "Cherry Picking,"
“Quote mining,” “Hearing what you want to hear.”
Picking only the data the supports your argument.
Example: "Coach said that i'd be a great help to
the team!"
(What coach actually said was, "You'd be a great
help to the team by not being on it.")

17. Common Logical Fallacies:
Argument from Ignorance
Discounting the validity of something because
you personally don‟t understand how it works.
“I don‟t understand how it‟s possible for a
manned spacecraft to have made it from the
earth to the moon and back, therefore the
moon landing was faked.”
(I don‟t understand stupidity, but it exists).

18. Common Logical Fallacies:
Appeals
Appeal to Authority: "Dr. So-And-So from Po-Dunk
Tech said it, therefore it's true."
Appeal to Common Practice (or Tradition):
"Well, that's the way we do it/it's always been
done."
Appeal to Popularity: "Most people believe in
invisible unicorns, so they are real."
Appeal to Novelty: "It's newer, so it's better!"