With presidential elections, big issues in politics and the huge presence of social media in todays world, everybody has an opinion about something. Many times, their opinions come with an attempt to persuade or convince. This is where something called "logical fallacies" come into play. Logical fallacies can be seen very easily in some arguments, but not as easily in others. Sometimes they pass by unnoticed and unseen, convincing people without providing real proof for what they are accepting. Here is a beginners guide to logical fallacies to guide the reader in the everyday world we are living in. Be informed, be intelligent, and think critically about everything.
A fallacy is defined by Merriam-Webster
as "An often plausible argument using false or invalid inference." There are formal and informal fallacies defined by the study of logic, and here are five informal fallacies.Argumentum Ad Lapidem
This fallacy is also called Appeal to the Stone. This is when someone states that something is ridiculous or absurd without using an proof to do so.
Example:
Person One says, "I think we need to clean all the windows in the library so that students can see outside the windows when they are studying which can improve study time and mood."
Person Two answers, "That’s totally ridiculous, students don’t need to see out windows. What’s more important is to..."
What has happened here, is that Person One has been silenced from their belief and reasons of why the windows should be cleaned, and Person Two has shifted the focus away from a possible answer to a problem. In this process, Person One is silenced with no real reason as to why cleaning the windows might be ridiculous.
Argumentum Ad Infinitum
This fallacy is also called Argument from Repetition. This is when someone states that the problem has been argued so many times that everyone is done talking about it, so obviously no one cares anymore.
Example:
Person One says, “The windows on the library are filthy.”
Person Two says, “ Why do we always come back to this same problem? We all have heard this before and you keep bringing it up again and again! Nobody cares.”
What has happened is that Person Two has minimized the problem of filthy windows, and distracted the audience again as to the real problem.
Argumentum Ad Hominem
Almost everyone on earth is probably guilty of using this fallacy, and every presidential candidate probably uses this one on a daily basis. This is when instead of continuing a discussion, the opponent attacks the character of the person speaking.
Example:
Person One says, “We need to do something about the dirty library windows. What do you think we should do about this?
Person Two answers, “Well, why don’t we talk about how you won’t even donate to a worthy cause when you are sitting on a pile of wealth that you don’t know what to do with?”
Person One’s wealth has nothing to do with the fact of the dirty windows. But Person Two has directed everyone else's attention from the dirty windows (the real problem up for debate) and towards the personhood of the arguer.
Fallacy of Composition
This is when someone uses a small fact that is true to prove the argument as a whole as true.
Example:
Person One says, “The windows in the library are dirty, we need to clean them.”
Person Two answers, “Well, I have a picture here of one of the library windows and it looks to me like it’s pretty clean and you can see through it. I don’t think the windows need to be clean.”
Person Two’s argument may prove that the particular window need not be cleaned, but unfortunately, that does not mean the rest of the windows are not clean. While in this situation it is obvious what Person Two is doing, in many situations this is done discretely and done while the audience remains oblivious.
Proof by Assertion
This is when someone repeats their belief as proof multiple times even if it is clearly not an argument or answer.
Example:
Person One says, “We need to do something about the windows in the library being so filthy.”
Person Two Answers, “The windows are fine. We don’t have to do anything about them.”
Person One says, “But they are filthy, they are covered in grime and dirt.”
Person Two answers, “I heard you the first time, but I said that they are fine.”
Person One answers, “But you can barely see out of most of them!”
Person Two says again, “The windows are fine, we don’t have a problem or anything to fix here.”
What has happened is that Person Two has made Person One seem annoying, repetitive, and unintelligent. This is sadly, the one I believe is most used and rarely recognized as a fallacy.
These are five informal fallacies that are happening in our everyday life. Hopefully, these have prodded your interest to go read up on fallacies and begin to critically analyze the arguments and problems you hear in everyday life. Be critical of arguments, and the assertions and reasons behind people's arguments.
