Fallacies Flashcards
Lec 12
When would subconclusions be present?
when need separate premises to support a premise it becomes a subconclusion that needs to be given reasons for why it is a premise for the actual conclusion.
What is the difference btwn rational and rationale?
rational= operating based on reason logic and thinking. the capacity to reason. known from intellect. rationale= a set of reasons given in support of an idea.
Why acceptability instead of truth?
acceptability is needed for a general practical term. truth is often too strong of a condition and is often impossible to find without taking excessive time.
What is acceptability relative to?
an individual, a group of individuals, members of a community, members of a culture or society. so diff ppl can have diff ideas of whats acceptable. this is why its nb to know audience youre arguing for.
What is infinite regress?
saying that smthn is acceptable bc of bc of smthn else which is acceptable bc of smthn else, so on and so on. with this view it would be impossible to justify the acceptability of any statement.
What is a fallacy?
a mistake in reasoning, a misleading or unsound argument, reliance on deceptive or persuasive communication, intentional or unintentional endoresment of false beliefs, errors in reasoning.
What are the origins of fallacies in reasoning?
includes erroneous, deceptive, and misleading reasoning. this is sophistry. sophists were unconcerned with correct reasoning or logic. used rhetoric and persuasion.
What are the causes of fallacious reasoning?
vagueness or ambiguity, errors in argument, errors in reasoning, false beliefs, rhetorical techniques/persuasion. can happen if havent thought through language, havent noticed being contradictory, or using sophistry.
Why study fallacies?
to spot poor reasoning, academic self defense, to provide language to describe why premises are unacceptable, irrelevant, or insufficient,
What is begging the question?
involves circular reasoning, when a premise assumes the conclusion. so the premise is the conclusion just stated differently.
What is post-hoc fallacy?
inaccurate attribution of cause and effect. assumption that if event one preceded event two then event one caused event two. ie A occurs before B therefore A is the cause of B.
What is equivocation?
using one word in two or more senses in the same argument. shift in meaning from one use to another. ie fine.
What is amphiboly fallacy?
ambiguous word choice or sentence structure that leads to multiple understandings. so unspecific lang leads to misinterpretations. ie duck
What is ad hominem?
arguments that attack the person making the argument rather than the argument. can involve prejudice and discrimination. sometimes the person is relevant.
What is appeal to inappropriate authority?
a premise involving support of the conclusion by a well-known person who doesnt have expertise in the area. ie accepting smthn from someone whos talking outside of their field of expertise.
What is appeal to ignorance?
appeal to lack of evidence to conclude smthn is false bc it has not been shown to be true. so attempting to use inability to disprove a conclusion as proof of conclusion. ie no one has ever proven ufos exist therefore they dont exist.
What is appeal to pity?
implies someone should accept a conclusion bc smthn unfortunate will happen otherwise. trying to use emotion to persuade.
What is appeal to force?
using force or pressure to justify a conclusion.
What is appeal to popularity?
implies that truth or acceptability is assured from popularity.
What fallacy is present; What Peter Singer said about us needing to give more to charity can’t be right. After all, Singer is just another obnoxious philosopher.
ad hominem bc singers argument isnt critiqued here, singer is.
What fallacy is present; Five days after they put fluoride in Winnipeg’s water i got a fever and very sore throat. i switched to drinking bottled water and i recovered in a day or so. That fluoridated water is dangerous stuff.
Post-hoc bc assumes fluoride caused sickness bc it came first.
What is appeal to emotions?
intentional use of emotionally charged language. using persuasive language. substituting facts and evidence with words that stir up emotion to manipulate someone to accept the conclusion.
What is guilt by association?
position criticized bc of a perceived link btwn a person and an unrespectable organization. so affiliation with an organization. fallacy of relevance. ie. his cousin and best friend are involved in crime, so he must be as well and is probably the person who stole the cookies.
What is two wrongs make a right?
reasoning based on the idea that it’s ok to condone a wrong action if a similar wrong has been allowed previously. ie. im not going to return the $10 i underpaid, bc if i had overpaid the store would not have returned the money.