...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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...EN1420: Module 3 Identifying, Organizing, and Analyzing Your Sources Exercise 3.1 Identify the Logical Fallacies Each statement below contains a logical fallacy. Identify the fallacy and briefly explain, in one or two sentences, why it is an error in reasoning. 1. Mabel is not qualified to lead the school board because she used to drink liquor in her 20s. 2. A child can be either an athlete or a good student. 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. 4. All teenagers text while they drive; therefore, we should raise the driving age to 21. 5. If we don’t all drive hybrid cars, the world will end in the next decade because of environmental damage. 6. Senator Range has been seen entering a strip club; therefore, his economic reforms are not plausible. 7. Everyone else is getting rid of TV, so we should too. 8. Because of the recent shootings in schools and theaters, we can conclude that these are inherently dangerous places that need more regulation. 9. If you want a successful child, you should enroll him or her in as many early learning classes as possible. 10. Music education is useless because it just teaches kids how to play music. Choose your answers from these eight fallacies. Note: Some of these will be used more than once. Begging the question Either-or Slippery slope Ad hominem Creating false needs Red herring ...
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...Composition class I learned so many different things. So, what did I learn this year? For a great portion of the semester I learned how to locate and identify a logical fallacy and know how to not use one of the many fallacies that are out there in the world. I also learned how to find underlying questions in a question that i as asked to write about and how to attack the prompt which was being asked. Another thing which i thought was pretty interesting was how to build off of a logical statement, because when you state something in order the the reader to think it is true you must state facts about what you have said. There were so many things i can take from this semester from being in this...
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...Logical Fallacies Defined Jamie Osborne American InterContinental University Abstract Fallacies can be viewed as a mistake or error. There are many different fallacies with different meanings for each. The following paper will discuss 9 logical fallacies. The paper will also include definitions for each of the 9 fallacies as well as examples of being applied to real life scenarios. Logical Fallacies defined Everyone has gotten into an argument with someone once or twice in their lifetime. Some people have mastered their skills in being argumentative while others are lacking in that department. The following will be a list of 9 different types of argument styles that could take place in one’s argument scenario. We have all been in an argument and more than likely used one or more of these in arguments that we have had in the past. The first logical fallacy to discuss will be Mere Assertion. By definition mere assertion means while arguing one’s point no matter what the opposing party may have to say their argument is right because that person believes it to be the truth. To further explain will an example P1- Mermaids are real and have inhabited the sea since the beginning of time. P2- Mermaids are in fact real and inhabit the sea because I believe they do. C- Mermaids are real and have inhabited the sea since the beginning of time because I believe they do. Therefore due to the fact that I believe that mermaids are real and that they inhabit the sea because...
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...Ben Franklin Fallacies Paper One of the most important aspects of effective persuasion is avoiding being caught in the traps of logical fallacies. The word “fallacy” comes from Latin, meaning “deceit,” “trick,” or “fraud.” Although sometimes these types of errors are hard to catch, so learning to recognize logical fallacies can help to be a better writer, listener, student, and voter. Don’t be fooled by the twisted rhetoric of another. Likewise, you need to avoid misleading your own audience when you write persuasively. ("http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/ ," ) I would like to address some fallacies presented throughout Benjamin Franklin’s speech at the 1787 Constitution Convention. After a thorough review of the speech and the statements therein, I realized that the eloquence of Benjamin Franklin could frequently be mistaken for fallacy. So, it was a fairly challenging endeavor to distinguish fallacy from eloquent verbiage. To explain, the first fallacy I want to discuss is when Benjamin Franklin speaks on many men thinking they are infallible and “in possession of all truth”. He goes on to say “Steele, a protestant in a Dedication, tells the Pope that the only difference between our Churches in their opinions of the certainty of their doctrines is, the Church of Rome is infallible and the Church of England is never in the wrong.” This reference demonstrates the ethical fallacy Dogmatism because it shuts down discussion by asserting that the speaker's beliefs are the only...
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...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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...Logical Fallacies Fallacies are all around us. We see fallacies on the television, newspapers, and radio. People around the world experience logical fallacies on almost a daily basis. A fallacy is defined as “errors or flaws in reasoning” (Axelrod and Cooper 620).Fallacies used in advertisements are; band wagon, begging the question, confusing chronology with casualty, either-or reasoning, equivocating, failing to accept the burden of proof, false analogy, hasty generalization, overreliance on authority, oversimplifying, personal attack, red herring, slanting, slippery slope, sob story, straw man. I have gathered four advertisements that have fallacies. The fallacies are slippery slope, overreliance on authority, and hasty generalization. My first finding is an advertisement with the fallacy slippery slope. The advertiser tells people “Use this 3D White collection together and get a noticeably whiter smile in just two days”. Slippery slope is defined as pretending that one thing inevitable leads to another (Axelrod and Cooper 621). The advertisement has the celebrity Shakira smiling with beautiful white teeth. It has three Crest 3D White products a toothbrush, mouthwash, and toothpaste. Advertiser say’s “Reveal your inner rock star with a 3D White smile”. Also, it claims that “life opens up with a whiter smile”. This advertisement is pretending that life will be better if people use its products. It will also supposedly make your teeth glamorous white. The toothbrush...
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...too poor to care for them. Throughout his persuasive/argumentative satire he utilizes logic and reason, emotion, and character to argue why his proposal is a good solution to the excess population and to persuade others to follow his idea. One of the types of arguments Swift employs throughout his essay is logos. Logos are arguments that are based on fact and reason. In the beginning of his literary work Swift begins discussing how many children are born every year to poverty stricken parents. He uses specific numbers such as “. . . . One-hundred and twenty thousand children of the poor are born annually” to bring to light how much the population and hunger problems will continue to grow. Swift is using logos (logic and reason) when he uses statistics of children born to parents who cannot afford to care for them. He also uses logos to dehumanize the infants by comparing them to food already eaten. When Swift compares the children to roasting pigs he is using an analogy. Another logical analogy Swift uses is comparing the breeders to livestock. Due to the fact that a husband’s breeder will be pregnant, he will become “as fond of her as they are now of mares in foal” (a young horse or related animal). This is a logical argument because if men did beat their wives during pregnancy they would be negatively affecting their revenue stream. Swift also uses cultural norms and values to justify eating infants by...
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...Fallacy Summary and Application Paper Introduction Logical Fallacies are methods in argumentations or persuasions that may look or sound good and truthful but do not stand up to critical analysis. These are errors of reasoning that may be recognized by prudent thinkers (Downes, 1995). Fallacies are more than just mistaken belief, it is a flaw in argument that may be intentionally created by a person who has an agenda or may be due to a simple error. On the other hand, Fischer (1970; p. 306) in contrast with fallacy explains logic as follows: “Logic is not everything. But it is something something which can be taught, something which can be learned, something which can help us in some degree to think more sensibly about the dangerous world in which we live.” Logical fallacies are commonly used in order to manipulate a situation or worse when an individual does not recognize the fallacies in the argument, he can be manipulated during the decision making process. As such it is necessary for every individual to use critical thinking particularly during the decision-making process for him or her to become aware of logical fallacies and how these relate to decision-making. Critical thinking as against logical fallacies is a process being used particularly in resolving a problem. It is a mental process of analyzing and evaluating information such as statements or propositions being offered as truth. This process involves reflection of the meaning of statements given, examinations...
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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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...UNIT 3 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT PHIL201-Introduction to Philosophy by Kendra M Hutchins AIU Online 11-25-2012 Because philosophy is so important in our 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...
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...Appendix D Assumptions and Fallacies Nanette McDowell Hum 111/ week 8 Assignment April 13, 2013 Bethany Bigler • What are assumptions? How do you think assumptions might interfere with critical thinking? What might you do to avoid making assumptions in your thinking? An assumption is a thought or a way of someone’s thinking in which they believes are true without proof. For example, when I was young I thought that all white people did not like black people. As I became older to understand my thoughts and judgments, this assumption was not true at all. The assumption back then was perceived in my mind because of the kinds of people that I was around that influenced my judgment. I was overgeneralizing about white people not liking black people because of the environment at the time. We must identify inferences and assumptions in order to see what inferences are illogical when the assumptions that lead to them are not justifiable. Once you become skilled in identifying the inferences and assumptions you are in a better position to question the extent to which any of your assumptions are justified. The key is recognizing and questioning our inferences and assumptions. To avoid making false assumptions here are some tips that I follow: (eHow article), • “Be as objective as you can in making evaluative decisions. Whether you're at work, at home or with your friends, be as logical and fair as possible in your judgments. • Resist the urge to accept stereotypes. Even though...
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...claims to only his own general knowledge and none from a professional. According to Russell E. Glasgow, associate director at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, to strengthen a self-help book he suggests the use of clinical trials and follow up assessments. (1) As mentioned before, Prentiss uses scientific papers, however, how he interprets them lessens the credibility. The use of scientific papers is important in bringing in professional views into the paper. Repetition is the key of a self help book for a strong memorization technique, however, Prentiss repeats in a way in which he brings old material, twisting the wording, and presents them as a new “ideal” to follow. For example, Prentiss writes “The more you engage in any type of emotion…greater your desire for it will become.” and “It’s only our perception…that causes distress”, similarly “ Everything that happens to us is for our complete benefit” and “…creating new results …whatever happens to us is for our greatest benefit.” His point could have been better made if he left out the repeated information to avoid begging the question. Throughout the book, Prentiss promotes his business through the use of anecdotes to support various claims. Such includes a paralytic man who was enrolled into the author’s addiction help center who believed that through his program who believed being paralytic is the best thing that could have happened to him (Prentiss 41). Although it is true that one way to promote following...
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...The Manager as a critical thinker Amos Agatovure University of Maryland University College Section 9047 October 16, 2015. Professor Martha Young Introduction Critical thinking is a term used most often by people and sometimes really don’t think about it what means and why questions are asked in a setting ways or why setting phrases are asked how and why? According to the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Crit-Think-Audio, critical thinking model helps in the analyzation and finding solution to complex organizational problems that affect decision making ability of managers. By definition, critical thinking means making reasoned judgement that are logical and well thought-out. That is, a way of thinking that you don’t just accept all argument and conclusions, but rather you have an attitude by questioning every notion which raises the question of how and why? According to the UMUC Crit-Think-Audio, people who asked questions on how get a job and the people that ask question why be there bosses. However, this paper is for the analyzation of the Cliffside Holding Company of Massapequa (CHCM) Memo, and also, using the critical thinking model as described in the textbook, asking the right questions and applying the several steps as reveled by Browne and Keeley (Browne & Keeley, 2015, to measure up the argument described in the CHCM memo. The critical thinking model was prepared and applied in a memo by CHCM...
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...Critique: “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” Although the idea of the “American Dream” may be outdated to some,Brandon King’s The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold effectively represents and explains the truth behind the american dream, and why people feel that way. Many liberals believe that the dream is dead because the income gap known as “income inequality” but despite the fact that liberals have that belief, income inequality actually helps people acquire the “American Dream”. Income inequality acts as a motivation for the less fortunate, or even a wake up call. So this gap is what help humans gain this area of success in life known as “The American Dream”. The “American Dream” is more than just making money or having a job, it...
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