Fallacies of Illicit Presumption

1. Accident (Misapplied General Rule)

Definition: This fallacy happens when a general rule is applied to a specific case that it was not intended to cover.

Example:
➡ "Cutting people with a knife is a crime. Surgeons cut people with knives. Therefore, surgeons are criminals."
(Here, a general rule about cutting is wrongly applied to surgery, where cutting is necessary and legal.)

2. Begging the Question (Petitio Principii)

Definition: This fallacy occurs when the conclusion is assumed in the premises, meaning the argument just restates itself rather than proving anything.

Example:
➡ "God exists because the Bible says so, and the Bible is true because it is the word of God."
(The argument assumes the very thing it is trying to prove.)

3. Loaded Question

Definition: This fallacy occurs when a question contains an unfair or unjustified assumption, forcing the respondent into a trap.

Example:
➡ "Have you stopped cheating on exams?"
(If you answer "yes," it implies you used to cheat. If you answer "no," it implies you still do.)

4. False Choice (False Dilemma, False Dichotomy)

Definition: This fallacy presents only two options as if they are the only possibilities, ignoring other alternatives.

Example:
➡ "You’re either with us or against us."
(This ignores the possibility of neutrality or alternative viewpoints.)

5. Composition

Definition: This fallacy assumes that what is true for individual parts must also be true for the whole.

Example:
➡ "Each member of the soccer team is a great player, so the team must be the best in the league."
(A strong team requires more than just talented individuals; teamwork and strategy matter too.)

6. Division

Definition: This is the opposite of the composition fallacy; it assumes that what is true for the whole must also be true for its individual parts.

Example:
➡ "The company is very successful, so every employee must be rich."
(Just because the company is successful doesn’t mean all employees are wealthy.)