Chapter 1: Introduction

• Fallacies of weak induction and fallacies of presumption will be covered

• Fallacies of weak induction involve bad reasoning related to cause and effect, generalizations, or lack of proof

• Appeal to ignorance is an example of a fallacy of weak induction

  • Reasoning from lack of knowledge to assert a claim is true or false

  • Example: Aliens have visited Earth because nobody can prove they haven't

• Slippery slope fallacy is another fallacy of weak induction

  • Assuming one event will lead to a series of other events, usually disastrous

  • Example: Government monitoring of social media will lead to spying on every move we make

• Texas sharpshooter fallacy is a fallacy of weak induction

  • Selecting evidence that supports a desired conclusion while ignoring contradictory evidence

  • Example: Ignoring evidence showing vaccines are safe and only focusing on anecdotes about vaccine injuries

Chapter 2: Slippery Slope Fallacy

• Slippery slope fallacy occurs when one event is assumed to cause a series of other events

• Causal connection between events is not warranted

• Example: Government monitoring of social media leading to spying on every move we make

Chapter 3: Hasty Generalization Fallacy

• Hasty generalization fallacy occurs when generalizing too quickly about a group

• Generalization is made from a small or unrepresentative sample

• Example: Concluding that all Subarus are reliable based on a small sample of neighbors' cars

Chapter 4: Cause A Boom

• Fallacies of presumption are committed when premises presume what they are meant to prove

• False dilemma is a fallacy of presumption

  • Presuming there are only two options available and ignoring other possibilities

  • Example: Raising taxes on the rich will either cause an economic boom or a recession

• Begging the question is another fallacy of presumption

  • Presuming the conclusion is true in the premise

  • Example: Capital punishment is morally wrong because the death penalty is immoral

• Burden of proof shifting is a fallacy of presumption

  • Shifting the burden of proof from oneself to another person

  • Example: Claiming space aliens stole my dog and asking others to prove it false

Chapter 6: Conclusion

• Covered fallacies of weak induction and fallacies of presumption

• Thanked viewers for joining the video