Module 7 Notes - (10/23)

To-Do:

  • Précis

  • Discussion 1st

Hasty Generalization and False Cause

  • Hasty Generalization - informal fallacy that occurs when one inappropriately draws a conclusion about the characteristics of a whole group/ population based upon a small sample of the group

    • “I’m never going to that restaurant again because my steak was cooked badly”

  • False Cause - occurs when one incorrectly thinks that an event, condition, or thing A causes another event, condition, or thing B, when there is no casual connection

    • “Every-time I get in the shower, my phone rings”

Argumentum ad Hominem, Abusive (Appeal to the Man/Person)

  • Ad Hominem, Abusive - fallacy that “attack on the person”. Attacking someone’s character

    • Politicians and business leaders square off against one another

  • If the person’s character is relevant to whether what they are saying is true, then it is an appropriate appeal to the character

  • If the person’s character is irrelevant, then it is an ad hominem fallacy

  • Ad Hominem can work in reverse (good character, negative claims)

Argumentum ad Hominem, Circumstantial

  • Arguer doesnt have to focus on someone’s character, they can also focus on affiliations and circumstances

  • Ad Hominem, Circumstantial - Attempting to discredit someone’s claim by pointing out that they are affiliated with an unsavory group

Tu Quoque (You, Too, or Hypocrite Fallacy)

  • Tu quoque - Anyone who tries to win an argument by calling you a hypocrite

  • Pointing out the hypocrisy doesn’t have anything to do with the truth of the claim

    • Someone cheating on their wife might present a convincing argument on why adulatory is wrong

Argumentum ad Populum (Appeal to the People)

  • “If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?”

  • Ad populum - Fallacy, appeal to the people

    • If everyone believed the Earth was flat, does the Earth turn flat

Appeal to Snobbery/ Vanity

  • Appeal to snobbery or vanity - If the arguer associates a belief/ action with an attractive or unattractive group in order to persuade you to accept/ reject the belief

    • An advertisement appeals to “luxury” - tries to convince you that you need to be apart of the high class

Argumentum ad Verscundiam (Appeal to Inappropriate Authority)

  • Appeal to inappropriate authority

    1. The authority can be irrelevant

    2. The authority can be biased

  • If the authority is irrelevant, they have no position to speak on the subject

  • If the authority is biased, they pretend to be in a position of authority on the subject

Argumentum ad Baculum (Appeal to Force)

  • “If you don’t make better grades, i’m calling your guitar lessons”

  • Appeal to Force - someone attempts to persuade you to believe a claim, on the grounds that not doing so will have painful, harmful, or otherwise bad consequences

Argumentum ad Misericordiam (Appeal to Pity/ Other Emotions)

  • Appeal to pity - Someone tries to convince you that a claim is true by appealing to emotions, especially negative emotions, fallacy

    • “For just 25 cents, you can save this poor child from Ethiopia”

Argumentum ad Ignorantiam (Appeal to Ignorance)

  • Appeal to ignorance - Any time someone tries to convince you that a claim is true/ false by appealing to the lack of evidence against or for a claim

    • 1. There is no evidence for X, therefore, X is false

    • 2. There is no evidence against X, therefore, X is true