Flaws Flashcards
Ad Hominem
How can you argue for vegetarianism while you eat that steak.
(what’s wrong with this statement)
a fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute
Circular Reasoning
Harold’s new book is well written, because Harold is a great writer.
The argument relies on a premise that says the same thing as the conclusion.
unclear terms/ equivocation
I brought my swimsuit to law school orientation because I was told there would be a large pool of applicants.
The same word used twice for different reasons.
Bad Analogies
Studying for the lsat is like boxing. It’s rough. Therefore if you study for the lsat you might find yourself knocked out unconscious.
When an analogy isnt quite enough to be exactly the same as what we are comparing it to.
Causation Confusion (1) We are producing more tylenol in maine and this correlates with increased headaches in the state of maine.
So, we could say that more headaches are causing us to produce more tylenol. But I am going to say that more tylenol production must be causing us to get headaches!
The causation could have just as easily gone the other way.
Use is causing an increase in production. (B–>A)
Causation Confusion (2) Underlying Third Causal Factor
Tylenol and Advil are both flying off the shelf, so one is causing sales of the other. (no a cold is just going around)
Two things showing pattern in data, don’t always mean they are directly related. There can be a third cause.
False Dichotomy.
Im the school bully. Give me your lunch money or I’m going to beat you up! So pick one!
False choice.
Percentage vs Amount
Only 0.01% of people in the history of all humans have gotten sick from the virus. So few people became sick
A small percentage could still be a very large amount
Biased Sampling
We asked 1,000 voters who they were voting for, and 80% of them said Bernie Sanders. They were all age 18. So Bernie will definitely win.
The sample was not random. (Remember, Samples Must Be Random) if you see a sampling flaw, that is always the right answer
A random poll would be more than only 18 year olds. Young people are not the majority of voters.
Hasty Generalization
My Hyundai elantra’s battery died after only 40,000 miles. So all hyundai elantras must have bad batteries.
Overly broad generalization.
Bad Argument So the Opposite Is True. (pretending we are any closer or farther away from the truth when the argument is bad.)
Labradors are the smartest type of dog. I went to a fortune teller and asked them to tell me the smartest kind of dog, and they said whatever dog you see next is the smartest kind of dog. I saw a labrador on the street when I left the fortune teller. So labradors are the smartest!
My reasoning is bad… but am I any closer to the truth of the best kind of dog?
My reasoning is bad… but am I any closer to the truth of the smartest kind of dog?
Relative Vs Absolute
A snail is faster than a stationary rock, so a snail must be a fast creature.
A relative claim comparing two things, doesnt guarantee something about the greater or worse thing. A lambo is slower than a ferarri, so a ferrari is a slow car.
Confusing a potential answer for the only answer.
One way to get to china is with a spoon digging through the center of the earth assuming that it is possible. So, if we want to get to china, we have to go through the center of the earth.
Just because an option exists doesn’t mean it is the only one that exists. We didn’t consider any other options!
red herring fallacy
When caught cheating, saying I know I made a mistake, but my parents are going to get so mad! Clearly you can let this one slide.
when a speaker introduces an irrelevant issue or piece of evidence to divert attention from the subject of the speech
Tradition fallacy.
We’ve been clear cutting forests for hundreds of years. It must be a fine practice!
Doing it a long time doesnt make it right.
