Notes on reason and logical fallacies

Reason

A structured, systematic thought process used to arrive at a valid conclusion.

Empiricism

The belief that all knowledge originates from the five senses and that superior knowledge comes from empirical evidence.

Rationalism

The epistemological belief which claims that reason, which allows us to transcend our senses, is the superior source of knowledge because, when used correctly, it can achieve absolute certainty.

A Priori

Knowledge that is justified prior to or independently of any observational or empirical evidence.

A Posteriori

Knowledge that is justified only after, or as a result of, empirical evidence or experiences.

Deductive Reasoning

A reasoning process that starts with a general rule to arrive at a specific conclusion.

Inductive Reasoning

A reasoning process that draws a general conclusion based on multiple specific observations.

Slippery Slope

A fallacy that assumes if A happens, then eventually B, C, etc., will occur, leading to an undesirable outcome.

Hasty Generalization

A conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence, rushing to a conclusion before gathering all relevant facts.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

A fallacy that assumes one event caused another simply because it occurred before that event.

False Dilemma

A fallacy that oversimplifies an argument by presenting it as having only two sides or choices.

Ad Hominem

A fallacy that attacks the character of a person rather than addressing the argument itself.

Red Herring

A diversionary tactic that avoids the real argument by introducing a distraction.

Straw Man

A fallacy that misrepresents an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that distorted version.

Ad Ignorantium

A fallacy that assumes a claim is true just because there is no evidence to disprove it.

False Analogy

A fallacy comparing two things that may seem similar but are actually different in significant ways.

Appeal to Authority

A fallacy assuming that a claim made by an authority or expert must be true without further evidence.

Romanticism

A literary, artistic, and philosophical movement during the early to mid 1800s that claims humanity will find meaning and identity through emotion, imagination, inspiration, and the mysteries of nature. The movement emphasized intense emotion (even despair, terror, and grief) as an authentic source of aesthetic experience.