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Logical fallacies
The document discusses common logical fallacies or tricks in reasoning. It identifies three main categories of fallacies: 1) providing erroneous assumptions, 2) distracting from the conclusion by making irrelevant information seem relevant, and 3) assuming a claim is true without proof. Specific fallacies defined include ad hominem, slippery slope, searching for the perfect solution, appeal to popularity, appeal to questionable authority, appeal to emotion, straw person, either-or, explaining by naming, glittering generality, red herring, begging the question, faulty analogy, and hasty generalization. Examples are provided for many of the fallacies.
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Logical fallacies
- 1. Are There Any Fallaciesin the Reasoning? Chapter 7 http://critical-readings.blogspot.com/2010/10/are-there-any- fallacies-in-reasoning.htl
- 2. Review . .. • So far we have covered: • Issue & conclusion • Reasons • Ambiguity • Remember the objective of critical reading and listening is to judge the acceptability or worth of conclusions.
- 3. What are fallacies? •They are tricks in the reasoning • Assumptions will lead us to fallacies If believed. . .
- 4. There are 3common tricks/fallacies
- 5. Ist Trick • Providingreasoning that are erroneous or incorrect assumptions-trying to make the reasoning relevant to the conclusion
- 6. 2nd Trick • Distractingus by making information seem relevant to the conclusion when it is not
- 7. 3rd Trick • Providingsupport for an author’s claim; however, we assume that that claim is already true (meaning it could be false)
- 8. Example of atrick • Dear editor, I was shocked by your paper's support of Senator Smith’s arguments for a tax hike to increase state money available for improving highways. Of course the Senator favors such a hike. What else would you expect from a tax and spend liberal?
- 9. The following willguide you to finding fallacies • Identify the conclusions, reasons, and ambiguity. • Always keep the conclusion in mind and consider reasons that you think might be relevant to it; contrast these reasons with the author's reasons.
- 10. Example • What theauthor is Claiming could be different than what is closest to the truth
- 11. Finding Fallacies • First,identify the author’s claim • What is needed for the claim to be true?
- 12. Finding Fallacies continued •Do these assumptions make sense? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
- 13.
- 14. AD Hominem: ThePersonal Attack • http://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=2tKpPHNt_pA • This is when the personally attacks the opponent instead of keeping with the issue at hand.
- 15.
- 16. Slippery Slope • Think ofdominoes • Assuming that one action will set off a series of undesirable events
- 17. Example • "I hopethe art mural at 34th and Habersham will not be allowed. You open the gate for one, you open it for all and you'll have it all over the city. A person wanting to paint on buildings is nothing more than upscale graffiti. More than likely it will go too far.“ • (anonymous, "Vox Populi." Savannah Morning News, September 22, 2011)
- 18. Searching for the PerfectSolution Define it
- 19. Searching for thePerfect Solution • Using reusable bags instead of paper or plastic will help the environment. However, using them won't solve the problem completely. Therefore, since it isn't the best possible single solution, it isn't worth doing at all.
- 20.
- 21. Appeal to Popularity •Most people approve of X (have favorable emotions towards X). • Therefore X is true. • Rwanda • Holocaust • Trail of Tears • Slavery
- 23.
- 24. Appeal to QuestionableAuthority • According to person 1, who is an expert on the issue of Y, Y is true. • Therefore, Y is true. • • Celebrity: the peanut butter and celery diet is a great way to lose weight. Buy my new book for instructions on how to do it.
- 26.
- 27. • Use ofemotionally charged language or visuals to distract or appeal to reader- • Fear, hope, empathy • Luke didn't want to eat his sheep's brains with chopped liver and brussel sprouts, but his father told him to think about the poor, starving children in a third world country who weren't fortunate enough to have any food at all.
- 28.
- 29. • Distort theopponent’s point of view so that it is easy to attack; thus, we attack a point of view that the opponent never brought up.
- 30. Straw Person • Strawman arguments often arise in public debates such as a (hypothetical) prohibition debate: • A: We should liberalize the laws on beer. • B: No, any society with unrestricted access to intoxicants loses its work ethic and goes only for immediate gratification. • The proposal was to relax laws on beer. Person B has exaggerated this to a position harder to defend, i.e., "unrestricted access to intoxicants". It is a logical fallacy because Person A never made that claim.
- 31.
- 32. Either-or Fallacy • Assumingonly two alternatives when there are more than two. • Either you buy me this new book, or you decide that reading is not important at all.
- 33.
- 34. Explaining by naming Coachclaimed that he did not remember what the athletic director had just said because he had a "senior moment." • Falsely assuming that because you have provided a name for some event or behavior that you have adequately explained the event.
- 35.
- 36. • Use ofvague emotionally appealing virtue words that dispose us to approve something without closely examining the reasons. • Positive associations • Coach said to possible supporters, "We have the greatest team ever and it deserves your support."
- 37.
- 38.
- 39. • An irrelevanttopic is presented to divert attention from the original issue. • To help to win an argument by shifting attention away from the argument and to another issue.
- 41.
- 42. • The conclusionthat the writer should prove is validated within the claim. • An argument in which the conclusion is assumed in the reasoning • Also known as cirrcular reasoning • Killing people is wrong, so the death penalty is wrong.
- 43.
- 44. • assuming that becausetwo things are alike in one or more respects, they are necessarily alike in some other respect. • People who cannot go without their coffee every morning are no better than alcoholics.
- 45.
- 46. • Drawing aconclusion based on a small sample size, rather than looking at statistics that are much more in line with the typical or average situation. Using only one example to carry an argument • Four out of five dentists recommend Happy Glossy Smiley toothpaste brand. Therefore, it must be great.