5 th period

1. 5th period Logical Fallacies

2. Definition: Many arguments rely on an analogy between two or more objects, ideas, or situations. If the two things that are being compared aren’t really alike in the relevant respects, the analogy is a weak one, and the argument that relies on it commits the fallacy of weak analogy. Weak Analogy Example 1: “Guns are like hammers—they’re both tools with metal parts that could be used to kill someone. And yet it would be ridiculous to restrict the purchase of hammers—so restrictions on purchasing guns are equally ridiculous.” While guns and hammers do share certain features, these features (having metal parts, being tools, and being potentially useful for violence) are not the ones at stake in deciding whether to restrict guns. Rather, we restrict guns because they can easily be used to kill large numbers of people at a distance. This is a feature hammers do not share—it would be hard to kill a crowd with a hammer. Thus, the analogy is weak, and so is the argument based on it. Example 2: “People who have to have a cup of coffee every morning before they can function have no less a problem than alcoholics who have to have their alcohol each day to sustain them.” Even though in both instances a person repeatedly drinks the same thing every day, a person who drinks a cup of coffee is used to give a person energy or wake them up whereas, an alcoholic who drinks everyday damages their health and can become a danger to others and themselves. Example 3:"No one objects to a physician looking up a difficult case in medical books. Why, then, shouldn't students taking a difficult examination be permitted to use their textbooks?" The only thing that is similar between these two actions is that they are both reading a book and are in the medical field. An examination is a test of a student’s knowledge and ability whereas a licensed doctor has already been tested and is simply using the book to confirm his diagnosis. Anna Moseley

3. Fallacies of LogicalArgument • INCONSISTENCY • Theinconsistencyfallacyischaracterizedbycontradiction.Twodistinctclaimsareboth promoted, and the beliefs of the opposing debater are inconsistent and can be twistedinordertowintheargumentandfrustratetheotherdisputant. • Inconsistencycanbefoundinmanyplaces.OnesuchsourcebeingTrump’sForeign Policy Address where he states that some groups, “will never be anything but our enemies,”shortlyaftercriticizingObama’spreviousdealingswithJapan.Helater • contradictshimselfbyoptimisticallyclaimingthat“Theworldmustknowwedon’tgo abroadinsearchofenemies,thatwearealwayshappywhenoldenemiesbecome friends,andwhenoldfriendsbecomeallies.” • TimO’BrienexemplifiesinconsistencyinTheThingsTheyCarriedwhenheclaimsthat • “Almosteverythingistrue. Almostnothingistrue,”(O’Brien77)whentalkingaboutwar generalizations. • FormerprofessionalbaseballplayerYogiBerraisrememberedpartiallyfortheironic inconsistency in his language. His legacy holds many memorable quotes, such as “I neversaidmostofthethingsIsaid,”Nobodygoesthereanymore.It’stoocrowded,” and“Thefutureain’twhatitusedtobe.” • AllyCobern 5thPeriod

4. The Straw Man Fallacy • A false refutation of a claim in which the claim is distorted or manipulated to not represent the original position. • Welfare • Evolution • The Death Penalty Basil Moledina

5. SLIPPERY SLOPE A course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one action or result to another with unintended consequences. This week it's Robert E. Lee. I notice that Stonewall Jackson's coming down. I wonder; is it George Washington next week, and is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop? I hope the art mural at 34th and Habersham will not be allowed. You open the gate for one, you open it for all and you'll have it all over the city. A person wanting to paint on buildings is nothing more than upscale graffiti. More than likely it will go too far. We can't permit the sale of marijuana by doctor's prescription, because that will lead people to believe it's an acceptable drug; this will open the floodgates to the complete legalization of the drug for use by every pothead in the country. Hannah Luster

6. Appeal to Ignorance • ~ Claiming that because something has not been proven means it it's not the case, or claiming that something has not been disproven so it is the case. Mistakingly  believe something to be true because he or she doesn't know enough about the subject. Sometimes known as shifting the burden of proof. • Ex.1: saying that God doesn't exist because no one has proved he exist or vise versa • Ex.2: Saying that Aliens don't exist just because it hasn't been proven or vise versa • Ex.3: If you say you don't know something then proceed to explain what it must be.      Tylear Jefferson

7. Examples • You either support Hillary Clinton for President or you don't believe in women's rights. • “Either you’re with us, or you’re with the terrorists.”- George W. Bush False Alternative a type of informal fallacy in which something is falsely claimed to be an "either/or" situation, when in fact there is at least one additional option.! Wendarius McQueen

8. When force or threat is used in place of reason in attempt to justify a conclusion • If you don’t go to church the devil will get you. • Text chain messages “If you don’t forward this to 10 people you will have bad luck” • If you don’t do your homework I’ll ground you. Appeal to forceargumentum ad balcum

9. Faulty Casual Generalization Definition: A conclusion about all or many instances of a phenomenon that has been reached on the basis of just one or just a few instances. Faulty generalization is a mode of thinking that takes knowledge from one group’s or person’s experiences and incorrectly extends it to another. Example: My child has autism and was vaccinated therefore vaccines must cause autism. Example: I’m able to earn a livable wage so anyone who can not must not be working hard enough. Example: I’ve never seen a real flamingo so they must be extinct. Katie Hornbrook

10. Inappropriate Appeal to Authority -Insisting that a claim is true simply because a valid authority or expert on the issue said it was true, without any other supporting evidence offered Olivia Chong

11. Two Wrongs Make a Right This fallacy occurs when someone argues that a course of action is justified because the other person has done the same or would do the same if given a chance. Historical example: Bob Dole was reported saying “If the democrats keep bringing up Watergate, then I’ll raise the question of why wars only happen during democratic administrations.” Current example: Donald Trump defends his tax record and the fact that he didn't pay very much in taxes by pointing out that other wealthy Americans took advantage of the same tax laws that allowed him to pay less. Literary example: When Cory gets caught for speeding, he tells the police officer that three people just passed him traveling faster than he was. Person 1 did X to person 2. Therefore, person 2 is justified to do X to person 1. Person 1 believes that person 2 would do X to person 1. Therefore, person 1 is justified to do X to person 2. Two Wrongs Make a Right Anslee Cuthbert

12. Equivocation: Occurs when a key term or phrase in an argument is used in an ambiguous (open to more than one interpretation) way, with one meaning in one portion of the argument, and then another meaning in another portion. Often referred to as double-speak. Ex 1: The sign says finefor parking here. The sign says finefor parking. Therefore I will park here. Ex 2: “None of woman-born shall harm Macbeth.” In the play, Macbeth takes this to mean no human can kill him, but later a man born of a c-section is the one to kill him. Woman-born is the equivocation in the prophecy. Ex 3: I want to have a merry little Christmas, but I refuse to do so as the song suggests and make the yuletide gay. I don’t think sexual preference should have anything to do with the holiday (Gay has two meanings, one meaning joyful and the other a sexual orientation). Audrey Beaver

13. CARD Stacking Card Stacking is a technique, most commonly used in propaganda, that manipulates an audience’s impression of an issue by emphasizing one side or suppressing the contradictory. Braden Kramer 5th period

14. Red herring fallacy • Describes a scenario in which the speaker or writer attacks the subjectivity of the audience through diversion. The distractor seems related to the topic of interest, but still fails to address the situation. Red herrings are often fueled by subjective topics, such as religion, family, and the self. The best way to counter a red herring is to “stay on the fox’s trail.” • The phrase “red herring” originates from the type of kipper used to train hunting dogs. Hunters would instruct the dog to follow the scent of game, then attempt to distract the dog using a different scent. Eg: red herring fish. By rewarding the dog, if it remains on the game trail, the pets are trained to ignore distractor scents. (and to pursue the target scent.) • https://youtu.be/D6VmYOFGpbM • “Marijuana smoking isn’t all that harmful. I would feel safer in a car with a person who has smoked weed than one under the influence of liquor any day!” • “I shouldn’t be punished for staying out past my curfew tonight, because I did the dishes earlier.” Daegan Rhodes 5th Period

15. Loaded Question EXAMPLES: “HOW AM I TO GET IN?” ASKED ALICE AGAIN IN A LOUDER TONE. [TO THE FOOTMAN] “DO YOU ACTUALLY SUPPORT THAT USELESS PRESIDENT OF OURS?” “DID THE KILLING THAT GIRL CAUSE INCREASE OR DECREASE OF YOUR PROFITS?” A question that contains a controversial or unjustified assumption (trying to tailor the response to what you want) Reagan Vinson 5th

16. Begging the question • This is a fallacy in which a claim is made and accepted to be true, but one must accept the premise to be true for the claim to be true. • Otherwise it involves using a premise to support itself. • A premise is a previous statement. • A claim is stating that something is the case. • Example One: Useless and wasteful plastic grocery bags should be banned. • Example Two: The death penalty is wrong because killing people is wrong. • Example Three: An anti abortion speech referring to the fetus as an “unborn child” without discussing when human life begins. By: Grace Stamper 5th period

17. Chloe Smith 5th period 2/11/2019 Bandwagon Bandwagon is a type of logical fallacy. Its an argument based on reasoning that is unsound. Bandwagon argues that one must accept or reject an argument because of everyone else who accepts it or rejects it-similar to peer pressure. Examples: • A person likes to read but their friends tell them its not cool and that they should play sports so they quit reading and play sports • A commercial explains that “everyone” likes a certain restaurant so a person goes to that restaurant • A Lot of people join a new form of social media causing you to create an account as well.

18. Appeal to pity • Appeal to pity is a fallacy in which someone tries to win support for an argument or idea by exploiting his or her opponent's feelings of pity or guilt. It is a specific kind of appeal to emotion. -I really deserve an “A” on this paper, professor. Not only did I study during my grandmother’s funeral, but I also passed up the heart transplant surgery, even though that was the first matching donor in 3 years. -Ginger: Your dog just ran into our house and ransacked our kitchen! Mary: He would never do that, look at how adorable he is with those puppy eyes! - Commercials that show starving children in Africa before asking for donations to feed them. Olivia McCord

19. Ad HominemFallacy Definition: 3Examples: Ad Hominem Fallacy: short for argumentum ad hominem, is a fallacious argumentative strategy whereby genuine discussion of the topic at hand is avoided by instead attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument, or persons associated with the argument, rather than attacking the substance of the argumentitself. Trump Tweets:He critques people’s features or characater while shying away fromusingfactsorevidencetobattletheiropinion. ● Movie: “A Time to Kill”:In the trial scene with Mr. Bass, Kevin Spacey uses a past rape trial against a witness in a new case. He uses this as a way to disprove the witness, thus attacking his former character; however the rape victim was his later proved to be wife (She was 17 he was 23; the town called it rape, not the couple) ● Websites: https://medium.com/@chelseaninaursin/trump-tweets-as-examples-of-common-logical-fallacies -b01492932bdc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O90-DO9P6q0 https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-wendy-tweets-jokes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=o rganic&utm_campaign=organic Wendy’s Twitter:On twitter, Wendys attacks customers of other fast food chains andthechainthemselvesinsteadofarguingaboutqualityorservice. ● https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/50581/why-do-they-say-i-am-committing-a-fal lacy-when-i-am-just-insulting-someone

20. Attacking The Motive • When a person’s motivation for making an argument or claim is criticized instead of the overall worth of the claim or argument because of possible conflicts of interest that could be beneficial to that person. • EX: You visit Outback for dinner with your family. When the waiter comes around to take orders, you are still undecisive, and ask him for his recommendation. The waiter points out a juicy steak that cost $25.00. Even though the steak looks good, your mother questions why he would recommend the most expensive steak on the menu. • EX: Your in the process of looking for colleges, and you ask your dad about what the best college is. He, without so much as a thought, says Alabama. You question your dad’s claim since he is an Alabama alumni, and more than likely wants you to follow in his foot steps. Aaron Crowe

21. Hasty Generalization A fallacy in which a conclusion is not logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence Rachel lapointe 7 Four out of five dentists recommend Happy Glossy Smiley toothpaste brand. Therefore, it must be great. Some teenagers in our community recently vandalized the park downtown. Teenagers are so irresponsible and destructive. "As I drove to school this morning, not one car which was turning had its turn signal on. Thus, I conclude that drivers in Alabama are not trained to drive very well."