M3 Ch6: Relevance (Red herring) Fallacies

what is a fallacy

• A mistake in reasoning 

  • An argument that does not support or prove its claim 

what is a relevevance fallacy

• A particular mistake in reasoning

• Is an informal fallacy and are used for inductive arguments: if one accepts the truth of the premises, one can doubt the truth of the conclusion, uses specific premises to come to a general conclusion 

• Support given is not relevant to the conclusion

what are the types of releveance fallacies? (7)

1. Argumentum ad hominem 

2. Straw man 

3. Dilemma 

4. Misplacing the burden of proof

5. Begging the question 

6. Appeals to emotion 

7. Irrelevant conclusions 

what is an argumentum ad hominem?

• Attempting to dismiss a sources position (idea, claim, argument,etc) by discussing the him or her rather then the position

Ex. "According to Al Gore, global warming is the most serious threat facing us today. Folks, what a crock. Al Gore spends $20,000 each year on electricity in his Tennessee mansion” 

• He may be a hypocrite that does nothing to the argument that global waiting is the most serious threat facing us today”

types of ad hominems (6)

1. poisoning the well

2. guilt by association

3. genetic fallacy

4. circumstantial ad hominem

5. abusive ad hominem

6. inconsistency ad hominem

what type of adhominem? Writer or speaker tries to get us to dismiss something someone is going to say by talking about the persones consistency, character, or circumstances. 

ex You can forget what Father Hennessey will say this evening about abortion, because Father Hennessey is a priest and priests are required to think that abortion is a mortal sin.

Poisoning the well:

what type of ad hominem?

when a speaker or writer tries to persuade us to dismiss a belief by telling us that someone we do not like has the same belief. The fact that the idea is associated with that person makes the reason to dismiss it.  

1. Ex. You think transgender individuals have been denied equal rights? That sounds like something these left wing college professors would say.

Guilt by association:

What type of ad hominem? when someone tries to argue that a view, claim, aurgment, etc should be rejected just based on the origin of it 

1. God is just an idea people came up with way back before they had science.

2. Where on earth did you hear that? On talk radio?

3. That idea is absurd. It's just something the Democrats put out there.

genetic fallacy

What type of adhominem? argues that a person's circumstances, such as their job, political affiliation, or other vested interests, motivate their argument and thus it must be biased and false 

Circumstantial Ad Hominem

Circumstantial Ad Hominem vs Genetic Ad Hominem

1. “Does God exist? Or Course not. That idea originated with a bunch of ignorant people who knew nothing about science.” →  ?

2. “John says God exists. What nonsense. He’s just saying that because he works for a church. ” → ?

1. “Does God exist? Or Course not. That idea originated with a bunch of ignorant people who knew nothing about science.” → Genetic Fallacy 

2. “John says God exists. What nonsense. He’s just saying that because he works for a church. ” → Circumstantial Ad Hominem

what type of ad hominem?

a direct attack on the other person's character, targeting their age, character, gender identity, appearance, etc

1. a person might discredit a CEO's opinion by saying that, as a woman, she is “too emotional” to be a leader

Abusive Ad Hominem:

what type of adhominem?  

someone's claim is being attacked based on that person being inconsistent. 

1. “Pay no attention to her arguments against abortion. I happen to know that she had three abortions herself!”

Inconsistency Ad Hominem:

what type of releveance fallacy?

Attempting to dismiss a source’s position by misrepresenting it, or oversimplifying it. Argument is turned into something no one would want. 

Ex. “What do I think about outlawing large ammunition clips? I think the idea of disarming everyone is ridiculous and dangerous.”

“YOU: I think we should legalize medical marijuana.

YOUR FRIEND: Maybe you think everyone should go around stoned, but I think that's absurd.”

Straw man Fallacy

what type of releveance fallacy?

attempting to establish a point by pretending it is the only alternative to something we will find unacceptable, unattanable, or implausible. You are either with us or against use” 

the false dilemma fallacy

• The ——— fallacy is often referred to as the black/white fallacy, the either/ or fallacy, the false choice fallacy, and the false alternative fallacy.

• false dilemma fallacy

what are the two type of false dilemma fallacy

1. The perfectionist fallacy: When the writer or speaker ignores the options between perfect and nothing   

2. The Line drawing fallacy: when the speaker or writer believes that a crystal clear line can be drawn between two things or there is no difference between them.  

what relevance fallacy is this?

” A single English course won't make anyone a great writer, so I don't see why we have to take one.”

The perfectionist fallacy

• Ignores the fact that one course could make you a better writer only focused on perfection

What type of relevance fallacy?

Ex. It doesn't make sense to say that someone is rich. After all, nobody can say just how much money a person has to have in order to be "rich."

Line drawing fallacy

• the speaker has assumed that, if we cannot say exactly how many dollars a person must have in order to be rich, then we can never say that person is rich. But he ignores the fact that there are obvious cases of rich people as well as people who are not rich.

• An imprecise line between the two is still useful.

what type of releveance fallacy?

• Ex. “Either we allow the oil companies to drill for oil in the Gulf or we will be at the mercy of OPEC. Therefore, we shouldn't prevent the oil companies from drilling for oil in the Gulf.”

false dilemma fallacy

The speaker only gives us one option when there is others 

what type of releveance fallacy?

• Ex. "There shouldn't be restrictions on violence in the movies. After all, when is a movie 'too violent'?"

false dilemma fallacy

There can be other options its does not have to be all violence or none = false dilemma 

what type of relevance fallacy?

• Ex.“Can I prove the biblical flood really happened? Can you prove it didn’t?”

Misplacing the burdon of proof

• Burden of proof is on the person that said it DID happen 

what type of relevance fallacy?

attempting to "support" a contention by offering as "evidence" what amounts to a repackaging of the very contention in question.

• Repackages the question 

• Assuming what you are trying to prove

• Offering a claim as evidence of its own truth.