Chpt 8: Assessing Adaquacy Flashcards
When appeal to anecdote evidence is adequate
When it’s used as a counter-argument against something else
When appeals to ignorance are adequate
When evidence is sought but cannot be found (like no evidence of big foot)
Appeal to authority is an adequate argument when
The authority is identified, recognized by experts, has expertise in the matter at hand, has expertise about something knowable, and has expertise consistent with consensus
3 types of casual fallacies
Post hoc, confusing cause and effect, common cause
Confusing cause and effect
Type of casual fallacy
When an effect is identified as the cause and the cause is identified as the effect
Almost everyone seems to die in hospitals. Hospitals are dangerous
Post hoc
Type of casual fallacy
After this therefore, because of this
Common cause
Type of casual fallacy
When you think one thing is caused be another thing, when really, both things are caused by a third thing
WHen slippery slope fallacy is adequate
Never. THe longer a chain of ‘likely’ events, the less likely the final event becomes
A might cause b, might cause C, might cause D makes D very unlikely to occur.
