Fallacies Flashcards

1
Q

Define fallacy

A

A fallacy is a mistake in reasoning

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2
Q

Define formal fallacy

A

A formal fallacy is an inference rendered invalid by a flaw in its syntax (form)

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3
Q

Outline the 5 main formal fallacies

A

affirming the consequent: p —> q, q, therefore p.
denying the antecedent: p—> q, -p, therefore -q.
affirming a disjunct: p v q, p, therefore -q.
denying a conjunct: -(p ^ q), -p, therefore q
undistributed middle: p —> q, r —> q, therefore r —> p.

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4
Q

Define informal fallacy

A

An informal fallacy is a type of mistake in reasoning that arises from the mishandling of the content of the propositions constituting the argument

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5
Q

State acronym for remembering formal fallacies

A

CADCU

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6
Q

State the three types of informal fallacies

A

fallacies of relevance
fallacies of presumption
fallacies of ambiguity

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7
Q

Define fallacies of relevance

A

fallacies of relevance occur when the premises of an argument are not relevant to the conclusion

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8
Q

State the main fallacies of relevance

A

ad hominem e.g. tu quoque

ad ignorantiam

ad verecundiam

ad populum

ad misericordiam

ad baculum

ignoratio elenchi

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9
Q

Define ad hominem fallacy

A

argument directed not at the conclusion, but at the person who holds it

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10
Q

Define tu quoque fallacy

A

tu quoque: a person’s argument is wrong (unsound?) because they don’t act in accordance with it

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11
Q

Define ad ignorantiam fallacy

A

ad ignorantiam: a proposition is true (or false) because not yet proved otherwise

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12
Q

Define ad verecundiam fallacy

A

ad verecundiam: appeal to inappropriate authority

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13
Q

Define ad populum fallacy

A

ad populum: appeal to the majority

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14
Q

Define ad misericordiam fallacy

A

ad misericordiam: appeal to pity

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15
Q

Define ad baculum fallacy

A

ad baculum: appeal to force

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16
Q

Define ignoratio elenchi fallacy

A

ignoratio elenchi (irrelevant conclusion): premises are irrelevant to conclusion

17
Q

Define fallacies of presumption

A

fallacies of presumption occur when an argument relies on unjustified assumptions

18
Q

State the main fallacies of presumption

A

complex question

false dilemma/dichotomy

petitio principii

post hoc ergo propter hoc.

accident

converse accident

19
Q

Define complex question

A

complex question: asking a question in such a way as to presuppose the truth of some conclusion. “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?”

20
Q

Define false dilemma/dichotomy

A

false dilemma/ dichotomy: two alternative statements are held to be the only possible options when in reality there are more e.g. “I thought you were a good person, but you weren’t at church today.”

21
Q

Define petitio principii

A

petitio principii (begging the Q): assuming the truth of what you intend to prove in order to prove it.

22
Q

Define post hoc ergo propter hoc.

A

post hoc ergo propter hoc.: after the fact, therefore because of that fact. “The bigger a child’s shoe size, the better the child’s handwriting. Therefore, having big feet makes it easier to write.”

23
Q

Define accident

A

accident: presume the applicability of a generalisation to individual cases that the generalisation does not cover. E.g., inferring that penguins can fly from the fact they are birds.

24
Q

Define converse accident

A

converse accident: Presume that what is true of a particular case is true of some generalisation of cases. Hasty generalisation.

25
Define fallacies of ambiguity
fallacies of ambiguity occur in arguments that rely on a term or phrase having multiple meanings in multiple propositions within the argument
26
State the main fallacies of ambiguity
equivocation amphiboly accent
27
Define equivocation fallacy
equivocation: argument relies on confusing the multiple meanings of the same word or phrase. “This Lloyds branch is a bank. Banks are next to rivers. Therefore, we must be next to a river.
28
Define fallacy of amphiboly
amphiboly: ambiguity is due to grammatical form. “The panda eats shoots and leaves.”
29
Define fallacy of accent
accent: ambiguity is due to differing stress on the same word or phrase. E.g., “I didn't take the test yesterday” stressed in six different places.
30
State 5 other fallacies worth knowing
straw man genetic fallacy argument to moderation gambler's fallacy slippery slope fallacy
31
Define straw man fallacy
straw man: reconstructing an opponent’s argument into something more easy to refute whilst maintaining that you have refuted their original argument.
32
Define genetic fallacy
the genetic fallacy: equating the origin of a belief with the justification of a belief. It might then seem that by criticising the origin of a belief we have defeated the truth of a person’s claim. But what about any independent justifications they might have?
33
Define argument to moderation
argument to moderation: assuming that the compromise between two positions is always correct.
34
Define gamblers fallacy
gambler’s fallacy: belief that independent events can affect the likelihood of each other.
35
Define slippery slope fallacy
slippery slope fallacy: A leads to B, B leads to C, C leads to…, …leads to Z. A leads to Z.