REASONING involves drawing
conclusions from several known facts
FALLACIOUS
ARGUMENTS
Pitfalls in argumentation
Fallacies: poor forms of
argument and thought
Proposed
benefits of studying fallacies
·
you will avoid them, and use more
logical arguments and counter arguments to sway your opponents
·
recognize them in other peoples’
arguments and so be less likely to be convinced by them
non
sequitur: does not follow
COMMON
FALLACIES
·
Ad
hominen argument
-
an attack against or at the person
-
try to discredit an idea by attacking its proponents
-
this distracts attention from the argument to the person who is labeled in a
negative fashion
WE SHOULD EVALUATE ARGUMENTS
BASED ON THEIR OWN MERITS, NOT BASED ON WHO SAID THEM
·
Poisoning
the well
prevent counter arguments before they
occur by making it uncomfortable for embarrassing to disagree
·
False
dilemma (false dichotomy)
argue
that there are only two possible positions
-
the wrong one and, by default, the right one
·
Slippery
slope argument
that
undesirable events will cumulatively result in a catastrophe
·
Straw
person argument (straw man)
making
a preferred position appear strong by stating the opposition’s position in a
weakened (distorted) form, that can easily be attacked
·
Appeal
to ignorance
you must accept a conclusion because
it can not be disproved
·
Appeal
to emotion
motivate
people to use their emotional feelings to reach conclusions, rather than logical
evidence
·
Appeal
to authority
because
the authority figure supports the position, the position is supposed to have
merit
the
credibility of the authority is important
·
Appeal
to the masses
because
so many people support this position, it must be right
·
Appeal
to tradition
that’s
how we have always done it
if
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it