...many types of Logical Fallacies .American Intercontinental University PHIL 201- 1401B-02 Week 3 Individual Assignment Introduction: Logical Fallacy: A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning. In other words, it is a factual error or a failure to logically support the conclusion in an argument. An argument is a group of statements about a specific topic where a stand is taken applying premises needed to support their conclusion. A fallacy is a type of argument where the person uses bad arguments to support their conclusion but in order to be a fallacy it must be believed some of the time (Eemeren & Grootendorst, 1995). The different types of fallacies are mere assertion, circular reasoning, Ad hominem, red herring, pseudo-questions, false cause, sweeping generalizations, slippery slope, and equivocation or changing meanings. Mere Assertion: Arguments by mere assertion simply mean a person uses a strong statement instead of any real fact to argue a point. Just because an argument is stated emphatically does not mean that statement is in fact true. In mere assertion even if there are facts to the contrary or that contradict the argument it will continue o be supported. Arguments by mere assertion are also considered rhetoric. Rhetoric is supporting the argument despite the fact there is no evidence the argument is true. It is a form of persuasion or blind faith in the mere assertion. Circular Reasoning: Circular reasoning is a type of fallacy where the argument goes...
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...poll question: Do you favor more money for welfare programs, or do you feel we should let people starve on the streets? Answer Selected Answer: Either/Or fallacy Correct Answer: Either/Or fallacy Question 3 5 out of 5 points Correct Of course animals have rights. Just look at how powerless they are in comparison with modern humans. Answer Selected Answer: Circular reasoning Correct Answer: Circular reasoning Question 4 5 out of 5 points Correct The farmers of our state have asked that we introduce legislation to provide subsidies for soybeans. Unfortunately, we will have to turn down their request. If we give subsidies to the soybean farmers, then the corn and wheat growers will ask for the same thing. Then it will be the cotton growers, citrus growers, truck farmers, and cattle raisers. In the end, the cost will be astronomical. Answer Selected Answer: Slippery slope Correct Answer: Slippery slope Question 5 5 out of 5 points Correct The Book of Mormon is true because it was written by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith wrote the truth because he was divinely inspired. We know that Joseph Smith was divinely inspired because the Book of Mormon says that he was, and the Book of Mormon is true. Answer Selected Answer: Circular reasoning Correct Answer: Circular reasoning Question 6 5 out of 5 points Correct Terrorists from the Middle East have crossed our borders and traveled through the country at will. Obviously the Immigration...
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...Are Logical Fallacies? Unknown AIU Online What Are Logical Fallacies? There are two different kinds of reasoning in philosophy. One uses the logical synthesis of two or more true statements, it is called deductive reasoning. The other generalizes by observing a number of specific examples, it is called inductive reasoning. (Carroll, 2000) Both deductive and inductive reasoning requires us to use sound logic to reach valid conclusions. Without the use of this logic errors can occur, which in philosophy are called logical fallacies. Mere Assertion The first logical fallacy I am going to define is mere assertion. This is an argument of opinion. There is no guarantee that what you say will be expected. But all opinions whether they are believed to be true or not must be supported by evidence. Here is an example of a mere assertion fallacy. My cats love me because they sleep on my bed. Also when I open their cat food they come running, so they must love me. Both of these statements are not supported by evidence. They are just statements of opinion that I believe to be truth. Circular Reasoning The second logical fallacy I am going to define is circular reasoning. This is an argument where your conclusion and premise are the same. It is an argument that asks you to simply accept the conclusion without real evidence. Also it can be an argument that simply ignores an important assumption. So to avoid this fallacy you cannot...
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...the spoken word there are three kinds. Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. Secondly, persuasion may come through the hearers, when the speech stirs their emotions. Thirdly, persuasion is effected through the speech itself when we have proved a truth or an apparent truth by means of the persuasive arguments suitable to the case in question. MYTHOS: a set of beliefs or assumptions about something. LOGOS: Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning. This will be the most important technique we will study, and Aristotle's favorite. We'll look at deductive and inductive reasoning, and discuss what makes an effective, persuasive reason to back up your claims. Giving reasons is the heart of argumentation, and cannot be emphasized enough. We'll study the types of support you can use to substantiate your thesis, and look at some of the common logical fallacies, in order to avoid them in your writing. Who was THALES? Was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Miletus in Asia Minor and one of the Seven Sages of Greece. What separated Thales from others? Empedocles Compare Logos versus mythos: The Greek words from which our English words “logical” and “mythical” have been derived, logos and mythos. Both Greek words can be translated as something like “story” or “account”. Mythical thinking and logical thinking both...
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...What type of fallacies do you detect? In this picture there are many fallacies I detected, some more apparent than others. The first being the “Red Herring” witch states the claim provides unrelated and misleading support for said claim. Being a circular reasoning argument it easy to see why this fallacy fits. I’ve seen this type of logic first hand, were I could propose a fact from a creditable source and another person retorts with a wild claim like “Because GOD said so/did it.” Not backing said claim with proof (Using this circular reasoning as a defense.) One other type of fallacy I can see that fits this criteria is the “Stacked Evidence” witch represents only one side of an issue not acknowledging the other side. I see this fallacy to fit this example because, when arguing with a pro-monotheist person it’s hard to even propose any other way of thinking because it goes against their way of life, and they don’t want to hear anything to penetrate their own outlook on life. What, specifically, makes them flawed or faulty? In my own option I believe that reading a book that’s been rewritten multiple times down past many years, and the person can pick and choose what they want follow and practice is dumb-founding to me. To think that praying to an invisible man will make your life better is stupid. (In my opinion.) In what ways do these changes make the argument stronger? One major way people can change this way of think is to INFORM people to the facts of how...
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...Logical Fallacies American InterContinental University - Online PHIL201-1204A-02 October 20, 2012 Earl Barnett Logical Fallacies Fallacies are statements that might sound reasonable or sketchily true but are actually weak or dishonest. I will discuss and give me interpretation of some common logical fallacies. Mere Assertion & Circular Reasoning Mere Assertion is an argument that lacks factual support. It’s merely an opinion that is formed more so by belief then logical evidence. For example, “Robert is a vampire; I can feel his cold blood when I touch him.” This argument has no real logic behind it, only reasoning that makes sense to the person stating it. Circular Reasoning is an argument that aids support to a statement by repeating itself in a bolder definition. For example, I am human because my mother is human and my mother is human because I am human. Using the method of circular reasoning states that because I was conceived by my mother I am human as well. Both statements in my argument prove each other to be true, which makes my conclusion and premises the same. Ad Hominem & Red Herring Ad Hominem is an argument used to negatively portray ones character. This method of argument redirects ones attention from a certain topic by providing unrelated accusations about the person in support of the topic. For instance, in a court dispute over which parent should be granted full custody of their child, the defending lawyer states that the father...
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...Logical Fallacies Nicole Smith American Intercontinental University Online Abstract Logical fallacies are mistakes in philosophical reasoning. One must be able to determine when a fallacy is being used as an argument so they are prepared to argument against such fallacy. Logical Fallacies There are several logical fallacies to watch for when making a philosophical argument. A mere assertion is someone asserting a lie to make it seem as a truth. It usually lacks any facts that would support it being true. This type of fallacy does not have any logic behind it. As an example, if I said that my boss is stupid. I have no facts that supports that she is stupid and in fact since she is in a management position at the company she is more than likely not stupid. Circular reasoning is an argument that starts with what the person making the argument is try to end up with. For example, my daughter is my child because I am her mother and therefore she is my child. This argument is stating the argument at the beginning and at the end, which makes it a circular reasoning and also a logical argument. Ad hominem is making an argument specifically against an opponent, which makes the argument personal and attacking the person’s character instead of their argument. Also referred to as, an appeal to motive (Bennett, 2012). An example of this would be if two presidential candidates were having a debate and one of the candidates brought up that the other candidate may have used drugs...
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...society, we have to study also the logical errors that will occur. Upon research of fallacies, I have learned they are statements or ideas that may sound reasonable or sketchily true but are actually weak or dishonest. If there is any error in an idea, than a logical fallacy is apparent. Depending on how the fallacy is formed or what it is geared around, determines the type of fallacy the argument or idea is. These come up in the philosophy world very often. This is why philosophers have different categories for them. Depending on how the error comes about determines the type of fallacy it is. Mere Assertion is an argument that lacks factual support. It’s merely an opinion that is formed more so by belief then logical evidence. For example, Robert is a vampire; I can feel his cold blood when I touch him. This argument has no real logic behind it, only reasoning that makes sense to the person stating it. Because this statement is not backed by facts of Robert being a vampire, then it is a mere assertion. With not giving enough information in an argument, this can cause confusion. Robert could just have cold blood, that does not mean he is indeed a vampire. Circular Reasoning is an argument that aids support to a statement by repeating itself in a bolder definition. For example, I am human because my mother is human and my mother is human because I am human. Using the method of circular reasoning states that because I was conceived by my mother I am human as well. Both statements...
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...Ashley Valdez PHIL201 August 31, 2014 Mere assertion: A mere assertion is statement said to be true and believed but has no factual evidence or validation to back it up. Example: He would never cheat on his wife because they are happy and he loves her very much. Circular Reasoning: A circular reasoning is when the argument is the same as the resolution. Example: Mother- “This is what is best for you and I know what is best for you.” Ad Hominem: The term Ad Hominem is the Latin translation for “against the person”. It means when a claim during an argument, that is a personal attack or allegation and is not logical and is irrelevant. Example: “President Obama held a press conference to talk about the serious issue of ISIS but he obviously did not take it that serious because he wore a tan suit and not a grey or black one.” Red Herring: The term refers to fox hunting, when a smoked herring is dragged on the route of hunting to distracted the hounds’ scent. The argument is a sidetrack comment used to deflect from the actual issue at hand. Example: “I know I shouldn’t have spent this much money on a dress, but does it not accentuate my figure nicely?” Pseudo Question: A pseudo question is an open-ended question that has no answer. Example: If god loves all of us, why does he make some people struggle more than others? False-Cause: A false-cause is coming to the conclusion that something occurred by an inaccurate observation. Example: The...
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...For those who haven't shared a class with me, one of my major concerns in conversations of a certain higher degree is the validity of claims presented as well as logical reasoning. The mind is a smart 'machine', so smart that it can trick itself into believing something that is not true. David Patrick Moynihan, four-term U.S. Senator from New York is quoted in saying that: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." A logical fallacy is a flaw in the structure of a deductive argument, which leaves the argument invalid. There are several of these, yet two of the most popular are circular reasoning and false premises. Reading through the text beginning on page 20 and ending on page 23, we see Socrates toying with his mental adversary, Euthyphro. One of my primary concerns with this conversation is that by the end, Euthyphro admits to a fallacy of circular reasoning, yet doesn’t treat it with a high degree of internal question. He doesn’t (at least from what we saw) start to say, “If I’m wrong about this, then I may be wrong about other things. I should look more into my beliefs” even as Socrates is basically fighting both sides of the battle until his opponent could pick up his place again. Perhaps he was merely in a hurry. Like the old adage sates, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Socrates did in fact lead Euthyphro to reason, but he could not make him think. Euthyphro’s false premise comes when he instantly asserts...
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...identify Logical Fallacies? By: Tabitha Harris American InterContinental Online University July 16, 2013 Abstract This purpose of this paper is to identify and explain what literature experts call Logical Fallacies. This document will include reasonable vocabulary, logical definitions, and sound examples of how to and how not to include these fallacies into your writings. There will be some suggestions made to assist with recognizing and examining some of the logical fallacies located within the writings of others, as well as in your own. By the end of this paper, your thoughts will be enlightened, and your knowledge of logical fallacies stronger, whether you’re a reader, writer, or just someone looking to learn. How do we identify Logical Fallacies? Logical Fallacies are arguments or false statements that appear to be true, when in fact, they’re not. Logical fallacies can also be accurate and are used to pursue someone to accept a single thought or feeling. People use logical fallacies to prove a point and to support reasoning behind a thought. There are different types of fallacies that I will go over in this paper. Fallacies often dilute arguments and by learning to recognize them in your own writing helps boost your ability to identify them in others’ writings, as well. This document will point out and explain key fallacies to look for in your writings and literature in general. (Career Education Corporation [CEC], 2010) LOGICAL FALLACIES: * Mere Assertion:...
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...| | | Of course animals have rights. Just look at how powerless they are in comparison with modern humans.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Circular reasoning | | | | | * Question 2 5 out of 5 points | | | The Book of Mormon is true because it was written by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith wrote the truth because he was divinely inspired. We know that Joseph Smith was divinely inspired because the Book of Mormon says that he was, and the Book of Mormon is true.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Circular reasoning | | | | | * Question 3 5 out of 5 points | | | Rhubarb pie is a dessert. Therefore, whoever eats rhubarb pie eats a dessert.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | No fallacy | | | | | * Question 4 5 out of 5 points | | | Televangelist Jerry Falwell said that God's anger with feminism led to the destruction of the World Trade Center. Given Falwell's closeness to God, we have no alternative than to blame the feminists for this atrocity.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Authority | | | | | * Question 5 5 out of 5 points | | | Either we have prayer in our public schools or the moral fabric of society will disintegrate. The choice should be obvious.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Either/Or Fallacy | | | | | * Question 6 5 out of 5 points | | | People are driving their cars like maniacs tonight. There must be a full moon.Answer | | |...
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...• Circular reasoning A premise is identical, or virtually identical, to the conclusion. The statement “I believe the Bible is true because the Bible says it is true” may make perfect sense to a believer who believe in Jesus Christ. But in a logical argument it would be considered circular reasoning. Skeptics and critics of Christianity often argue that Christians use circular reasoning to defend their biblical beliefs. Some Christians have argued that God exists because the Bible says God exists, since God wrote the Bible, it must be true. This argument is problematic from a purely logical standpoint since it bases belief in God’s existence on the Christian belief that the Bible comes from God. • Shifting the burden of proof In which those...
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...Identify the Logical Fallacies 1. Mabel is not qualified to lead the school board because she used to drink liquor in her 20s. • This is anAd hominem fallacy: It attacks the character of the arguer rather than the argument. It is an error in reasoning because you should focus on the argument. 2. A child can be either an athlete or a good student. • This is an Either-or type fallacy: it presents someone with a limited choice when there are more choices. The error is that people will know they have more choices and discredit your argument. 3. Any change in health care will lead to socialism; we don’t want to live in a socialist country, so we can’t reform health care. • Begging the Question: Using circular reasoning to prove a conclusion. This is done in the news a lot and this type of fallacy goes unnoticed. The error is that the claim is false so the conclusion is false and people will notice this. 4. All teenagers text while they drive; therefore, we should raise the driving age to 21. • Hasty generalization: Using a part to make an inaccurate claim about a whole. This is wrong because if any part of the claim is wrong it will make the whole argument wrong. 5. If we don’t all drive hybrid cars, the world will end in the next decade because of environmental damage. • Slippery slope: Suggesting that one event will automatically lead to a chain of other events. This is wrong because the claim that the world will end isn’t supported be any evidence...
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...REASONING SKILLS SUCCESS IN 20 MINUTES A DAY REASONING SKILLS SUCCESS IN 20 MINUTES A DAY 2nd Edition ® NEW YORK Copyright © 2005 LearningExpress, LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by LearningExpress, LLC, New York. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Reasoning skills success in 20 minutes a day.—2nd ed. p. cm. ISBN 1-57685-493-0 1. Reasoning (Psychology) I. Title: Reasoning skills success in twenty minutes a day. II. Title. BF442.C48 2005 153.4'3—dc22 2005047185 Printed in the United States of America 987654321 Second Edition ISBN 1-57685-493-0 For information on LearningExpress, other LearningExpress products, or bulk sales, please write to us at: LearningExpress 55 Broadway 8th Floor New York, NY 10006 Or visit us at: www.learnatest.com Contents HOW TO USE THIS BOOK ix PRETEST 1 LESSON 1 Critical Thinking and Reasoning Skills The importance of critical thinking and reasoning skills, justifying your decisions, the difference between reason and emotion 15 LESSON 2 Problem-Solving Strategies Identifying the main issue of a problem and its parts, prioritizing issues 21 LESSON 3 Thinking vs. Knowing Distinguishing between fact and opinion, determining whether facts are true or tentative truths 27 LESSON 4 Who Makes the Claim? Evaluating credibility: recognizing bias, determining level...
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