Logical Fallacies Flashcards
What is a Logical Fallacy?
Logical fallacies are errors in logic
These errors can lead to incorrect conclusions and even one minor fallacy can poison an entire line of reasoning rendering it unusable
Being able to identify flawed logic in their own logic as well as the logic of others is an important tool for a philosopher
There are dozens of logical fallacies that exist.
The Relativist Fallacy
This is often a last-ditch attempt to save an otherwise lost argument
An individual claims that something is “true for them” even though it has been proven not to be true
It suggests that truth is not universal or objective (ie. it is relative)
This confuses the fact that an individual believes a thing to be true with its actual objective reality (ie. it is not true that Monteral is the capital city of Quebec but it may be true that I believe that it is)
In reality, truth is not a matter of opinion or perspective in most cases.
The Gambler’s Fallacy
This fallacy is rotted in an error regarding how mathematical probabilities are calculated
It is the belief that the short term or immediate probabilities of a particular even are altered by long term events
In reality, short term probabilities are not impacted by long term ones. Each event has its own independent likelihood (with some small exceptions):
For example- if I pull the handles of the handle of a slot machine I have a certain probability of winning. If I pull the handle 100 times without winning, my chances of winning are nit greater on pull 101. In fact, each time that I pull the handle it is an independent event with a new set of probabilities that are not in any way related to any (or all) of the previous pulls.
The Appeal to Authority
This is the claim that an argument’s weight/accuracy is greater because of the qualifications. Authority or importance of the person making the argument (in the absence of other proof)
It is the basis of things such as celebrity advertising
While some people might have qualifications that vouch for their level of education and confirm their credibility as an expert, that does not mean that their arguments are correct by virtue of their position.
An argument must be able to stand on its own logic, regardless of who is making the argument.
Examples might include a person claiming that they are right because they are in charge or saying “trust me, I’m an expert” without providing actual logical reasons or proofs to back up their assertions
Post Hoc Ergo Proctor Hoc (often referred to as “Post Hoc”)
“After this, therefore, this, because of this” (translation)
Belief that because of event A preceded even B, A must therefore have caused B
Fact that one vent precedes another doesn’t mean that there is a causal relationship
Ignores the possibility of coincidence or of other causes that are not readily apparent in favour of the assumption that if something follows another then there must be a casual relationship
Lies at the root of many superstitions
“I wore this shirt something good happened so I will wear this shirt so it can happen again”
The False dilemma Fallacy
When someone attempts to force somebody into choosing “A” or “B” decision when there are other possible answers/solutions
Commonly used in politics and law as a way of forcing people to ignore possible solutions in favour of the particular solutions favoured by someone else
Affirming the consequent:
Assumes that if cause A leads to outcome B, the whenever we see outcome B we must assume that it was caused by A
It assumes that because a logical chain work in one direction, it must always work the same way in reverse
A.)Turned off power in a room
B.)The light will not turn on, even if I flip the switch
B.)The light is not coming on even when I flip the switch therefore
A.)Power must be turned off
The Genetic fallacy
This follows the logic 1)B comes from A 2) thus, B must share the same characteristics as A
Essentially it involves criticizing something (including, but not only arguments) because of where they come from
Ex) king henry VIII was the founder of the anglican church and he killed his wives. Because the Anglican church was founded by a man of questionable morals, does that mean that it’s an immoral organization?
Red Herring
Somebody uses an argument that is not directly relevant to the main argument in order to distract from the main argument
This sometimes occur intentionally but even more often it occurs accidentally (people going off on tangents)
Ad Hominem
This is when someone attacks the individual making an argument rather than attacking the argument itself
The real or perceived failing of the person making the argument don’t change the logical validity of the argument itself
Ex) If someone is high but still has a good argument you can’t say just because their high that their argument is also wrong
Circular Reasoning
This form of reasoning in which the proposition (things you are claiming) is supported by the premises and the premises are, in turn, supported by the proposition.
This creates a circle in the reasoning with no useful information being shared
Ex. Mr. Dollimore is never wrong. This fact is proved by the fact that Mr. Dollimore says that he is never wrong and since he is never wrong we can believe him
