************ REMEMBER to work on Homework 10! due 11:00 am FRIDAY ************ ************ Chapter 5 - Logical Fallacies I - Fallacies of RELEVANCE ************ * A FALLACY is a [dictionary.com] “deceptive, misleading or false notion, belief, etc.” * The relevant synonym is “erroneousness”. * A LOGICAL FALLACY is a mistake in reasoning that leads one to come to a fallacious conclusion. * NOT the same as a factual error! * in determining if one of these is present, you should NOT be taking into account the factual correctness of the premises or conclusion ============ two basic TYPES/categories of logical fallacies ============ * A FALLACY OF RELEVANCE is one where the arguer offers LOGICALLY IRRELEVANT reasons to support the conclusion. * This is covered in Chapter 5 of the text. * A FALLACY OF INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE is one where the premises may be relevant, but DON'T PROVIDE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE to support the conclusion. * This is covered in Chapter 6 of the text. ============ TYPES of RELEVANCE ============ * POSITIVE RELEVANCE is a statement that (if true) tends to SUPPORT the conclusion. * NEGATIVE RELEVANCE is a statement that (if true) tends to GO AGAINST the conclusion. * NEITHER of the above are a logical fallacy! * LOGICAL IRRELEVANCE is a statement that (if true) has NO bearing on the conclusion. ======== * Logical Fallacies of Relevance use logically irrelevant statements in ways that tend to fool the listener (either accidentally or deliberately) into believing the conclusion, despite that irrelevance. ======== ------------ "Ad Hominem" Fallacy ------------ * A Personal Attack on the Speaker * X is bad, so X's argument must be bad. * Attacking the person, rather than the substance of the argument, says nothing about the argument's soundness, from a logical standpoint ------------ “Attacking the Motive” Fallacy ------------ * An Attack on the Speaker's Motivations * calling into question the motives of one's opponent, BUT often without showing that the supposed motive has any ROLE in forming their conclusion * Subtly different from Ad Hominem – it questions the motives of the speaker * A “Conflict of Interest” refutation of someone's argument can be relevant, or it can be just a “Attacking the Motive” Fallacy ------------ "Look Who's Talking" Fallacy (Tu Quoque) ------------ * An Attack on the Speaker's Hypocrisy * An attack on the speaker on the grounds of "you don't practice what you preach" * Assertion that an argument must be false simply because the person presenting the advice doesn't follow it themself. ------------ "Two Wrongs Make a Right" Fallacy ------------ * Justifying a wrongful act by claiming that some other act is just as bad or worse. ------------ Scare Tactics (or Appeal to Force) ------------ * Coercing the listener with an irrelevant threat if they do not accept the arguer's conclusion ------------ Appeal to Pity Fallacy ------------ * The arguer inappropriately attempts to evoke feelings of pity or compassion in the listener, AND this appeal is irrelevant to the truth of the arguer's conclusion; ------------ Bandwagon Argument Fallacy ------------ * An argument that persuades the listener to join the (supposedly) popular point of view or (supposedly) generally accepted norm without any appeal to RELEVANT logic or facts ------------ Straw Man Fallacy ------------ * Mischaracterizing an opponent's position or argument to one's own advantage. * be wary of an argument that has a premise that defines what opponents of that argument are saying or doing. That premise deserves extra scrutiny! ...will continue on Wednesday;