The Logical Fallacy Project.
Hi, my name is Chris Bernal, and this is my Logical Fallacy project. For my logic class, I am required to find and explain a few different types of fallacies, and that's just what I've done here.
1. False Cause.
The False Cause fallacy is committed when a conclusion depends on a nonexistent or minor causal connection. In this example, the mother of the cartoon commits the fallacy by assuming that rolling up socks would make one feel younger.
2. Appeal to Force.
An Appeal to Force is a fallacy that threatens someone to accept th conclusion given. In this example, if you drink and drive, you will die.
3. Appeal to Tradition.
An Appeal to Tradition fallacy involves the arguer citing tradition to convince the read to accept the conclusion.
In this cartoon, the Native American forgoes the traditional smoke signals for cell phone texting, which is faster and more efficient.
In this cartoon, the Native American forgoes the traditional smoke signals for cell phone texting, which is faster and more efficient.
4. Appeal to Invincible Authority.
The Appeal to Invincible Authority appears when the arguer cites a trustworthy individual, who would know whether or not the conclusion was true. In this case, the ad cites doctors for Camel cigarettes, which is illogical because smoking is unhealthy, and doctors should know better.
5. Begging the Question.
Begging the Question is a fallacy that occurs when one's argument goes in circles. the Cartesian Circle is an example of Begging the Question. Louis E. Loeb writes:
"Descartes writes in the second paragraph of the Third Meditation: “So I now seem to be able to lay it down as a general rule that whatever I perceive very clearly and distinctly is true ” (AT VII 35: CSM II 24)... Descartes concludes, on the ground that God is no deceiver, that “if . . . I restrain my will so that it extends to what the intellect clearly and distinctly reveals, and no further, then it is quite impossible for me to go wrong” (AT VII 62: CSM II 43)."
http://cco.cambridge.org/extract?id=ccol0521366232_CCOL0521366232A009
Descartes needs both God and clear and distinct ideas in order to prove the existence of God, which runs in circles.
"Descartes writes in the second paragraph of the Third Meditation: “So I now seem to be able to lay it down as a general rule that whatever I perceive very clearly and distinctly is true ” (AT VII 35: CSM II 24)... Descartes concludes, on the ground that God is no deceiver, that “if . . . I restrain my will so that it extends to what the intellect clearly and distinctly reveals, and no further, then it is quite impossible for me to go wrong” (AT VII 62: CSM II 43)."
http://cco.cambridge.org/extract?id=ccol0521366232_CCOL0521366232A009
Descartes needs both God and clear and distinct ideas in order to prove the existence of God, which runs in circles.
6. Strawman.
The Strawman fallacy occurs when the arguer distorts their opponents conclusion to make it easier to attack. In this video, Hillary Clinton's famous ringing phone ad is distorted several different ways to make it appear as if Hillary and Barack Obama both kill babies. In a funny way.
7. Abusive Ad Hominem.
An Abusive Ad Hominem is a general attack against a person. In this political ad, Beth Perdue and Richard Moore are attacked because they support Barack Obama, who's pastor is very extreme and hostile in his beliefs.
8. False Dichotomy.
The False Dichotomy fallacy appears when only two options are acknowledged, but in reality there are more than two options. A prime example of this is the political party system of the U.S.A. Most people only acknowledge the two options of Democrat or Republican, when there are multiple other political parties to choose from.
9. Slippery Slope.
The Slippery Slope fallacy is committed when the conclusion of an argument depends on an unlikely chain reaction stemming from the conclusion. J. Matt Barber uses this fallacy in a recent news article. The argument starts with accepting the 'Day of Silence', a day in which students remain silent all day to protest the actual silencing of LGBT people due to harassment, bias and abuse in schools. The argument states that the homosexual lifestyle is dangerous, and if we have a day to promote it, then we should promote other dangerous lifestyles, such as doing drugs.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=61856
"Can you imagine officials at a middle school, junior high or high school setting aside a day to promote "tolerance" for heavy smoking and drinking among children? How about a day where teachers encourage kids to "embrace who they are," pick up that crack pipe and give it a stiff toke?"
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=61856
"Can you imagine officials at a middle school, junior high or high school setting aside a day to promote "tolerance" for heavy smoking and drinking among children? How about a day where teachers encourage kids to "embrace who they are," pick up that crack pipe and give it a stiff toke?"
10. Analogy.
The Weak Analogy fallacy is committed when the conclusion of the argument depends on a defective comparison. In this example, the boss of the company is comparing his employees to flies.
11. Equivocation.
The Equivocation fallacy is used when the conclusion of the argument depends on a shift in the meaning of a word or phrase. In Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First?", the entire argument stems from the basis that all of the player's names on the baseball team are words that cause equivocation fallacies. For example, if Who is on first, and you want to know who is on first, there is going to be confusion.
12. Red Herring.
The Red Herring fallacy is when the arguer tries to change the attention of the audience by changing the conclusion to a completely different conclusion that is slightly related to the original argument. In this example, Johnny Cochran uses the Chewbacca defense. He confuzes the audience by talking about Chewbacca which has nothing to do with the court case.
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