COMFTF 08-A Logical Fallacies PPT (With Sound) Rev 4-12-05

8/14/2019 COMFTF 08-A Logical Fallacies PPT (With Sound) Rev 4-12-05

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COMFTF 08

LOGICAL FALLACIESDr. David F. Maas


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COMFTF08LOGICAL FALLACIES Writing not simply motor activity Writing primarily thinking reasoning skill


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COMFTF08LOGICAL FALLACIES Purpose of this unit: Train writer to spot lapses is his own

reasoning Train writer to spot lapses in other peopleswriting


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COMFTF08LOGICAL FALLACIES Purpose of unit: Avoid logical fallacies in our reasoning.

Detect them in articles we use for our research,preventing them fromcontaminating our research.


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COMFTF08LOGICAL FALLACIES Mastery demonstrated by: Define fallacies

Provide text example Provide own example


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES Linguistic Fallacies Involve tampering

with the language structure.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES EMOTIVE LANGUAGE- sole purpose of

emotive language: Arousal of unreasoned feeling Stimulation of the emotions Raise the blood pressure


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COMFTF08LINGUISTICS FALLACIES EMOTIVE LANGUAGE Examples Communist

Socialist Fascist Pig Racist Bigot Welfare cheat Union goon


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES Two kinds of words: Denotation

Connotation


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COMFTF08LINGUISTICS FALLACIES DENOTATION: Pointer function of language

An agreement between two or more peopleto restrict what a word can mean. The dictionary definition of a word.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES DENOTATION: Pointing Function

CONNOTATION: Associative function


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COMFTF 08 Linguistic Fallacies Connotation Evoke Powerful Feelings

Snarl words Purr words


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES CONNOTATION Snarl words: Pig

Fuzz Cops Nazis Purr words Servant of the people Guardian of the people Long blue line

DENOTATION Law enforcement

officer Constable Patrol man


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES EMOTIVE LANGUAGE: Mightiest weapon in arsenal of despots

People learned in semantics would nottolerate supreme political dictator Propaganda met with No comprendo.


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COMFTF-08Linguistic Fallacies Hitler translated into intrinsic meaning-if

any. Abstract words and phrases without

discoverable referents would register asemantic blank, noises without meaning.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES The Aryan Fatherland, which has nursed the

souls of heroes, calls upon you for thesupreme sacrifice which you, in whomflows heroic blood, will not fail, and whichwill echo forever down the corridors of history.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES The blab blab, which has nursed the blabs

of blabs , calls upon you for the blab blabwhich you, in whom flows blab blood, willnot fail, and which will echo blab down theblabs of blab.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES

Semantic Blank

Screens out emotive language


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES EQUIVOCATION: Allowing a key word or

phrase to shift its meaning in the course of the argument.

Etymology: EQUI = equal

VOX = voice


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES EQUIVOCATION Example:

Only man is rational. No woman is a man Therefore no woman is rational


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES EQUIVOCATION: Uses the same term

with different meanings. Democracy Liberal


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COMFTF 08Linguistic Fallacies Freedom


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The things which have real educationalvalue should obviously be the core of acollege curriculum. Nobody who has ever tried to get a job will deny that typing isvaluable. Certainly, then all students should

be required to take typing.


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Practice makes perfect. Physicians have practiced the art of healing for thousands of years. My physician, therefore, who studiedat one of our greatest medical schools,should be perfect in this field.


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COMFTF08Linguistic Fallacies As far as Im concerned, we need pay no

attention to the president of the collegewhen it comes to educational matters

because he has no authority ineducation.

He doesnt even have enough authority to prevent students from staging protestrallies.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMBIGUITY: occurs when we use terms

which are : Ill-defined Vague in meaning Signify variety of ideas


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMBIGUITY: Example:

Objective consideration of contemporary phenomena compels the conclusion thatsuccess in competitive activities is in noway commensurate with innate capacity,

but a considerable amount of theunpredictable must be taken into account.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMBIGUITY Example:

Ecclesiastes 9:11- I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to thewise, nor riches to men of understanding,nor favor to men of skill; but time andchance happen to them all.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES ACCENT 1. A statement is spoken in a tone of voice

not intended for it. 2. Certain words in it are wrongly accented

or stressed. 3. Certain words (or even sentences or

paragraphs) are taken out of context andthus given an emphasis(and therefore ameaning) they were not intended to have.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES ACCENT Aristotle applied the term to

misinterpretations resulting from words thatdiffer in syllabic content.

In valid Sick person

Invalid Faulty argument


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES ACCENT Occurs less frequently in oral speech

We commit the fallacy of accent when wetry to deceive by changing the part of the phrase to be emphasized.

The meaning changes depending uponwhich parts of the phrase we emphasize or accent.


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COMFTF09LINGUISTIC FALLACIES ACCENT We should not speak ill of our friends.

We should not speak ill of our friends. (But other people may speak ill of them). We should not speak ill of our friends.

(But we do anyway)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES We should not speak ill of our friends. We should not speak ill our friends.

(But we can think or write ill of them.) We should not speak ill of our friends. (But we can speak good of them.)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES We should not speak ill of our friends. We should not speak ill of our friends.

( But we can speak ill of your friends.) We should not speak ill of our friends . (But we can speak ill of our enemies.)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES ACCENT I never said he hit his wife.

I never said he hit his wife. (But Fred may have said it.) I never said he hit his wife.

(Under no circumstances did I ever saythat.)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES I never said he hit his wife. I never said he hit his wife.

(But he may have hit Harrys wife.) I never said he hit his wife. (But he could have hit his girlfriend or

mistress.)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES ACCENT Yiddish Humor

Leo Rostens word play


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES Two tickets for her concert I should buy? Two tickets for concert I should buy?

(Im having enough trouble buying one.) Two tickets for her concert I should buy? (You mean she isnt giving away free

passes?)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES Two tickets for her concert I should buy? Two tickets for her concert I should buy? (After she didnt come to my sons recital?) Two tickets for her concert I should buy? (She calls that hideous racket and noise a

concert?) Two tickets for her concert I should buy? (What about the other office members?)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES Two tickets for her concert I should buy? Two tickets for her concert I should buy?

( Are you giving me a lesson in ethics?) Two tickets for her concert I should buy? (Why isnt she giving them away free?)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMPHIBOLY Etymology: Greek

AMPHO = D ouble (On both sides)


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMPHIBOLY EXAMPLES Eat here and get gas.

The Longview Committee on PublicDecency is looking into plunging necklines. There are some things that one should not

eat, especially children.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMPHIBOLY EXAMPLES: Church Sign: Do You Know What Hell Is?

Come Hear Our New Organist. Clean and decent boxing every night exceptSunday.

Apartment for rent: View takes in 4counties. 2 bedrooms.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMPHIBOLY EXAMPLES: For Sale 1969 Cadillac hearse. Body in

good condition. Lost cat: owner worried, neutered and

declawed.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES AMPHIBOLY EXAMPLES: Church sign: Is There A God

Who Cares? Sign in druggists window: We dispense with accuracy.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES COMPOSITION: We commit the fallacy of composition

when we attempt to apply what is true of the part or individual to the whole group.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES COMPOSITION EXAMPLES: A statement about an integral part of

something is not necessarily true about the

composite whole: Six blind men and the elephant: One holding tusk:An elephant is like a

spear. One holding trunk: No its flexible like a

rope.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES COMPOSITION EXAMPLES: Six Blind Men and The Elephant.

One holding ear: No its soft like a palmleaf. One feeling side: It feels like a wall.

None of them described the elephant in itstotality.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES DIVISION The fallacy of division occurs when an

individual assumes that what is true of acomposite whole is true for each component

part considered separately.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES DIVISION EXAMPLES: Texas A&M is a world famous institution. Carl Jones attends Texas A&M. Carl Jones is a world famous student.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES DIVISION The fallacy of division takes place when

one makes the assumption that what holdstrue about a collection of elements musthold true for each of the individual elementsthemselves.


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES DIVISION EXAMPLE: American Indians are disappearing. Jim Big Crow is an American Indian. Jim Big Crow is disappearing.

What holds true of the group as a whole isnot necessarily true of the individual parts.

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COMFTF08LINGUSTIC FALLACIES DIVISION EXAMPLE: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is the

best symphony orchestra in the country.That doesnt mean the concert master is the

best violinist in the country.


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COMFTF08


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES VICIOUS ABSTRACTION We commit the fallacy of vicious

abstraction when we remove a statementfrom its context, thereby changing themeaning of an argument.

COMFTF08


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES VICIOUS ABSTRACTION EXAMPLES: Paul: The love of money is the root of all

evil. Emerson: A foolish consistency is the

hobgoblin of little minds.

COMFTF08


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COMFTF08LINGUISTIC FALLACIES VICIOUS ABSTRACTION EXAMPES: Pope: A little learning is a dangerous

thing. Bacon: A little philosophy inclineth mans

mind to atheism, but depth in philosophybringeth mens minds about to religion.

COMFTF 08-A Logical Fallacies PPT (With Sound) Rev 4-12-05

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