STUDENT HANDOUT LOGICAL FALLACIES Explanation of Logical Fallacies * What is logic? * Logic is reasoning that is conducted according to strict principles. * How is logic related to expository writing? * When you write an expository essay‚ you are using logic to provide the layers of proof for your statements. * You are proving your thesis when you construct your topic sentences. * e.g.‚ answering the “Why”‚ “How”‚ “What are they” questions about the
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CRITICAL THINKING PSU LOGICAL FALLACIES Ad hominem or ATTACKING THE PERSON. Attacking the arguer rather than his/her argument. Example: John’s objections to capital punishment carry no weight since he is a convicted felon. Note: Saying something negative about someone is not automatically ad hominem. If a person (politician for example) is the issue‚ then it is not a fallacy to criticize him/her. Ad ignorantium or APPEAL TO IGNORANCE. Arguing on the basis of what is not known and cannot be
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Types of Fallacy 1) Fallacy of Accident/ Fallacy of Sweeping Generalization - occurs when one reason with the generalization as if it has no exceptions. Examples: 1) Cutting people with a knife is a crime Surgeons cut people with knives Therefore‚ surgeons are criminals. 2) Birds can fly Penguins are birds Therefore‚ penguins can fly 3) Speeding up above 50 kph is a crime. Therefore‚ ambulance drivers are criminals. 2) Fallacy of Converse Accident - occurs when
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Part 1: Intellectual Standards- “The vast majority of Transterra’s college apparel is manufactured in a factory in Honduras which employs primarily women and children who operate under horrific conditions.” The author is violating the intellectual standards of precision and breadth. The author does not provide enough details to emphasis that the company employs primarily women and children. It could be possible that everyone has a different meaning to horrific conditions. In other countries it
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luddite fallacy is a common‚ flawed belief‚ the job-market’s ability to adapt‚ and its stimulating effect on the economy. Some work to live‚ while others live to work. Throughout the course of history‚ it is seen that humans have developed tools to aid them in working less. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution‚ textile-workers feared their jobs would be replaced by textile machines. There
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Dubner‚ most people predict tails next‚ because they believe that too many heads has come up and that the coin must fall on the tails side‚ even though there is still a 50% percent chance the coin lands on heads. This is the basis of the gambler’s fallacy‚ which is when people make a bad decision because of the sequence of what has happens‚ and it happens everywhere from baseball games to immigration courts. For example‚ people often lose thousands of dollars in casinos everyday simply because they
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Video games have become an integrated part of society both in the older and younger generations. As more and more complex games are made and introduced into the community‚ increased amounts of violence are put into these games to draw in more consumers. Many studies have reported that because of the violence in these games‚ younger children and teens have become more violent not only toward family‚ but also toward government and public property. If this continues on the track that has been established
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across a person who makes logical fallacies. Such discussions may prove futile. You might try asking for evidence and independent confirmation or provide other hypotheses that give a better or simpler explanation. If this fails‚ try to pinpoint the problem of your arguer’s position. You might spot the problem of logic that prevents further exploration and attempt to inform your arguer about his fallacy. The following briefly describes some of the most common fallacies: ad hominem: Latin for "to the
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unscientific. According to Sober (209)‚ naturalistic fallacy refers to the false idea that people develop when dealing with ought and is premises while trying to understand particular phenomena. Moore G.E‚ the first philosopher who invented the concept of natural philosophy by developing and sharing a false idea positing that naturally existing behaviors are right thus should be accepted by human beings. As illustrated by Greene (847) natural fallacy‚ according to Moore is an anecdotal gaffe of identifying
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the issues[sex-ed.] at hand “removes family involvement with the children‚ put kids in an uncomfortable position‚ stripped any sense of morality‚ promote promiscuity‚ and encourages experimentation.” In the passage‚ I have identified the logical fallacies that the author utilized in their argument: personal attack(ad hominem)‚ slippery slope‚ perfect argument‚ false dilemma‚ and wishful thinking. This argument seems to direct its argument toward a general surgeon about his recommendation about educating
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