a moment in time...logical fallacies are errors in reasoning understanding what these are and...
TRANSCRIPT
LOGICAL FALLACIES
Logical Fallacies are errors in reasoning
Understanding what these are and avoiding them helps us to
learn in a more clear fashion.
Eliminating these from your arguments make your position
stronger
Knowing about these helps to understand what information to
value
Our society not only uses logical fallacies but even relies on them
Latin Names but not unique to western
thought by a long shot!
Let’s explore
Ad Hominem – personal attack or
focusing on the arguer
If a fault can be found with the arguer
then the valid case he is making can be
disregarded, right?
One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a
question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the
great commandment in the Law?"
(Mat 22:35-36 NASB)
Problems with ad hominem is when people
who have done great things in religion or
elsewhere do something horrible the
inclination is to reject the good they did.
(HWA for example)
Appeal to Authority
Works at least two ways:
• If the arguer has no authority his testimony
can’t be valid
• If the arguer is under an authority then
he’s bound to those constraints
When He entered the temple, the chief
priests and the elders of the people came to
Him while He was teaching, and said, "By
what authority are You doing these things,
and who gave You this authority?"
(Mat 21:23 NASB)
Outright rejection of Authority (CD special)
• Not “authority” like being the boss, “authority” as having
mastered a concept or skill.
• Problems with theologians who know the truth and don’t teach
it tempt us to reject anyone who has classical education
• Problems with abusive leaders inclines toward anarchy
Guilt by Association
• One application is that because someone came out of such
and such church, then they’re eternally biased in their
approach
• The JW factor: no pork, no Christmas, no Trinity – ohhh,
you’re a JW
• People constantly trying to put others in boxes
Appeal to Wealth and Appeal to Poverty
• Eastern vs Western philosophy: respecting wealth
and power versus being suspicious of wealth and
authority (authority like being the boss)
• Appeal to wealth assumes that increased cost or
success equates to global authority
• Appeal to poverty contrasts appeal to wealth
because it assumes if the poor may be harmed then
an idea must be bad.
Both appeal to wealth and poverty in one shot!
"For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and
drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!' "The
Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you
say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a
friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”
(Luk 7:33-34 NASB)
The Straw Man
• Set them up and knock them down: this is more of a
debate tool than a fallacy. One misrepresents or
grossly exaggerates the other’s position and then
pokes holes at the argument.
• Big example is the gun debate: the argument that
banning bump stocks is going to lead to some
universal firearm confiscation. Similar to slippery
slope
The Halo Effect
• This is the idea that because someone does one thing
so well we tend to think they do all things well:
example when celebrities testify to congress
• Manifested through physical attractiveness as well
• Commercial where they put a suit on a DJ and call
him a financial advisor
Checking out completely: “thinking outside the
box” to the extreme
• Recant real story in the late 90s/early 2000s when
a company specifically hired people who had ZERO
expertise in industries and started changing things
wholesale. The disrespect to the experienced
workers, education, and disasters that ensued – but
it works once in a while!
Sources
• These are very common points that don’t necessarily
require sourcing, but I did use these two sites in my
prep. There are many more fallacies to explore,
give it a shot!
• https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-
tools/fallacies/
• http://www.logicalfallacies.info/
Conclusions
• Check biases at the door
• Strive for objectivity
• Do give credit where credit is due: education and
experience actually do matter but not a lock
• Evaluate ideas and people on their merits