Becoming a Critical Thinker: Identifying Fallacies We will begin on time. Meanwhile, enjoy chatting.

Becoming a Critical Becoming a Critical Thinker: Identifying Thinker: Identifying

FallaciesFallacies

We will begin on time.We will begin on time.Meanwhile, enjoy chatting.Meanwhile, enjoy chatting.

What is an argument?

Argument

An argument is an issue that has TWO SIDES.

In order to present your side of the argument, you must know both sides. If you don’t know the arguments for the other side, you leave yourself open to be blindsided by an attack. This is true for everything in life.

Why?

It’s important to write effective arguments, without fallacies, to successfully prove your point. Use facts and details for support.

The Other Side

Make sure, when arguing a point, that you tell why the other side’s attitude is not acceptable. However, do not do this in an accusatory way. The approach needs to be professional and well written.

Why?

It’s important to write effective arguments, without fallacies, to successfully prove your point. Use facts and details for support.

Tips

In writing an argument, here are the tips that we should keep in mind:

First, make sure that you understand what the question is or the subject at hand. Read it or think about it over and over again until you are sure that you have not misunderstood any part of it.

Tips

Second, after fully understanding the subject, think about what you can say. Get ideas flowing into your mind. Brainstorm. Think about the positive and negative sides of the argument, so that whichever side you take, you will know how to counter react. With this, you are sure that you have thought of the argument before you even say it and that you will never get caught off guard.

Tips

Third, make sure that you say your argument in simple words so that it will be easy to understand.

Tips

These simple steps are very easy to remember, that is why we should always keep them in mind whenever we write business letters or make arguments. These are essential tips in the professional world.

Conclusion

It’s a good idea to always be careful and proofread your writing as well. One of the best techniques is to read what you have written out loud, and then out loud again to somebody else. It will help you find grammatical errors as well as errors in the argument.

What are deceptive arguments?

What are deceptive arguments?

Recognizing Deceptive Arguments When you are doing your research, you need

to read the information carefully and to apply your best critical thinking skills to what the author is saying.

You must analyze the articles that you are reading and find the "holes" in the arguments. To do this, you must decide which arguments are valid and which are not.

With practice, you will become better at detecting deceptive arguments.

Deceptive Arguments

Deceptive arguments may mislead you, causing you to believe the wrong information.

Because deceptive arguments often confuse and distract people, they may take attention from important issues. Deceptive arguments are often more emotionally charged, gaining bigger headlines.

Since deceptive arguments may appear reasonable, it is important that you read both sides of all issues.

A big part of learning to write well is learning to read critically. Practice reading and thinking. Read things you might not normally read, such as

newspaper articles. Analyze them. What is the topic? What is the main point? What proof is offered? Look for “holes” in the thinking of the writer. Demand proof for assertions!

Example: A political add on TV in Florida stated that Florida Senator Bill Nelson, when he was a state official, caused insurance rates to rise. My first thought: I’d like to see back up for that assertion. How did one person cause insurance rates to rise????

Some Types of Deceptive Arguments False Dilemmas & Either/Or Statements Slanters Persuasive Definitions Personal Attacks Post Hoc Scare Tactics Slippery Slope Strawman Testimonials Generalizations Categorical Statements Begging the Question False Analogy Bandwagon

False Dilemmas & Either/Or Statements There is no reason to have just two

alternatives. Example: Either we’ll leave at 1 pm

or at 1:30. Obviously, there are other alternatives:

You could leave at 1:05, 1:15, or any time in between 1 and 1:30.

To avoid false dilemmas, use your imagination to think of the other possibilities.

False Dilemma: “If…then” Statements & Perfectionism False dilemmas can be “if…then”

statements. This is a form of blatant manipulation. Example: "If you really loved me, then you

would…...” False dilemmas can also be perfectionism,

which states that if the solution is not perfect, then we shouldn’t bother. Example: Since the FCATs are a poorly

designed test, the schools shouldn’t do any standardized testing.

Slanters – to persuade through emotionally charged language instead of reason Labels used to describe people often

reveal the labeler’s perceptions or bias. Example:

According to the West, people who strap bombs to their bodies and blow up themselves and innocent civilians are suicide bombers.

According to radical Islamists, those same people are martyrs.

Slanting: Persuasive Definitions Persuasive definitions are a form of

slanting in which the definition closes off the argument because the definition is actually a conclusion instead of a real definition. Example: The Iraq War is an illegal war

being fought just for oil By defining the war as illegal and being

fought just for oil, you are limiting all discussion. Those assertions would have to be proven.

Personal attack

People use this to attack their opponents personally instead of discussing ideas or behavior. They often attack their opponent’s character, family life, looks, or personal habits, rather than focusing on the issues.

Example: When Ann Coulter called Democrat presidential candidate John Edwards a “faggot,” she was attacking him personally instead of debating his ideas.

Post Hoc - Latin for "after this, therefore caused by this.“ (Cause and Effect) Just because one event comes after another

event, doesn’t mean the second one is caused by the first.

Example: I turn out the light, and then the dog barked. My turning out the light did not cause the dog to bark. The cat running down the hall did.

Scare tactics

Scare Tactics use threat as a form of persuasion. Their premise is “Do this….or else.” The issues discussed using scare tactics are usually real, but the method used is deceptive.

Example: We must close our borders NOW! Even as we speak, terrorists are slipping undetected into the U.S., possibly even carrying nuclear or biological bombs.

While it is true that terrorists may be entering our country, the speaker is trying to scare people into action instead of using reason.

Slippery Slope

This is another form of scare tactics. It’s premise is that once you start down the “slope,” it’s all down hill from there.

Example: If we allow illegal aliens to remain in our country, they will overwhelm our social service. American citizens will not be able to get help from the government. No one will speak English any more. All of our customs will be changed. Soon we will be little more than Mexico north.

Strawman

This means putting words into someone else’s mouth. The premise is that it is easier to knock down a straw person than a real one.

Example: The police chief said he was going to wait for the outcome of the investigation. It’s obvious that he doesn’t care about our community.

The police chief never said that he didn’t care about the community. The speaker put words in the police chief’s mouth.

Testimony or Relying on Experts When doing research, we accept the

ideas of people who are knowledgeable in their fields.

Quoting an expert is a valid way of supporting your arguments. When you do this, however, be sure that you keep the meaning of the quote. Do not distort it by using it out of context.

Unreliable Testimony/ False Authority Actors or athletes who advertise products often

advertise things they know little about, maybe even less than you do.

Also, many people who make public statements are not experts, nor do they have any type of knowledge about the issues they are discussing.

Example: Movie stars or rock stars give opinions on what the U.N. should or shouldn't do to end hunger in Africa. The fact that a person is famous in the entertainment field doesn't mean he or she knows how to solve problems in world affairs.

Generalizations & Stereotyping A generalization is an assertion (argument)

based on insufficient evidence. Generalizations are often applied to groups

that we feel are different than we are. Stereotyping and sexism are forms of this fallacy.

Example: Blonds are dumb. Obviously, not all blonds are dumb

anymore than all women or all men are dumb.

Begging the Question (Circular Reasoning) In this is a form of circular logic, the

question remains, "begging" to be answered. Instead of providing support, the assertion is restated.

Example: Guns are deadly because they kill people. The words deadly and kill people mean

the same thing. Instead of proving that guns are deadly, the statement goes in a circle repeating its claim.

False Analogy – Comparing apples to oranges Classic example: If we can put a man

on the moon, why can't we find a cure for the common cold. Medicine and space technology are not the

same. Different scientists work in those fields and the advances made are not related.

Bandwagon - the idea that everybody does it or believes it I'm guessing that you have all used this type of

argument when you were younger. You'd say to your parents, But everyone is going OR All of the kids have one of those.

And what answer did your mom give? If everyone was going to jump off a

cliff does that mean you should, too? LOL

Examples of Fallacies

Can you share any examples of fallacies you have seen lately in advertising, politics, etc?

Activity

OK, now that we have that completed, I’m going to ask you to identify logical fallacies in some sentences.

  Remember, this is a free-for-all, so all please

post your answers.

Fallacy 1

If we let them ban pit bulls, tomorrow it'll be all dogs, then all pets.

Answer

(slippery slope) It is jumping to a conclusion and making a hasty generalization, but more accurately, I think this is "slippery slope" which implies that one thing will result in another thing which will result in another thing (and so on)

Fallacy 2

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV, and I take Tylenol for my toughest headaches.

Answer

Relying on a false authority. Why should you take the medical advice of an actor?

Fallacy 4

Freedom of speech is an essential right in a free society, since everyone should have the right to express him- or herself with complete freedom.

Answer

This is actually an example of circular reasoning which basically says, A is true because B is true and we know B is true because of A. Like a dog chasing its tail. In other words, freedom of speech is everyone's right because everyone's right is freedom of speech. I'm not saying that everyone shouldn't have freedom of speech. What I'm saying is that this particular justification of it is faulty

Fallacy 5

You are either with us or against us.

Answer

This is an either-or dilemma which does not leave room for a neutral position, nor does it allow for people to be for some of the policies and against others.

Fallacy 6

After my opponent took office, the economy plummeted. A vote for me is a vote for restoring the economic engine of this country.

Answer

This is an example of mistaking time relationships for cause and effect.

Fallacy 7

You don't have many suspects who are innocent of a crime. That's contradictory. If a person is innocent of a crime, then he is not a suspect.

Answer

(Spoken by Former Attorney General Ed Meese) This is jumping to conclusions AND circular reasoning. This is saying that suspects aren't innocent because the innocent aren't suspects