Logical Fallacies 2 LSH 2203 Critical Thinking

A fallacy is an argument that contains a mistake in reasoning. Fallacies A fallacy is an argument that contains a mistake in reasoning.

Fallacies of Insufficient Evidence Types of Fallacies 2 Fallacies of Insufficient Evidence This means these arguments don’t have enough information to make a good conclusion

Fallacies of Insufficient Evidence Hasty Generalization Slippery Slope Questionable Cause Appeal to Ignorance Appeal to Authority Appeal to Tradition

Hasty Generalisations Hasty means ‘too quickly’ The first baby I met cried the whole time! The second baby I met cried the whole time! The third baby I met cried the whole time! Babies cry all the time! so

Task Hasty Generalization In your group complete these to make hasty generalizations: 1. Ahmed travels through Dhaid for the first time. He sees 10 people, all of them children. Ahmed returns to his town and reports that …. 2. Jane, who has tattoos, stole my wallet. Therefore, all people with tattoos… 3. I tried 2 Lebanese cheeses yesterday. They were both salty. Lebanese cheese ...

This fallacy occurs when a general conclusion is from a biased or small sample. When we say something always happens when it might just happen sometimes. Can you think of personal examples of this?

Slippery Slope

What could this have to do with cable TV? Have you ever heard of people selling their hair for other people to make wigs? What could this have to do with cable TV? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o36fkqYfa7c What is the argument? What is the problem with it?

What’s the problem here? If you don’t have cable TV, you won’t be able to watch something good, you will get depressed, you will go to a seminar, you will feel like a winner, you will go to Las Vegas, you will lose everything then you will sell your hair to a wig shop. You don’t want to sell your hair to a wig shop. so… You should get cable TV.

What’s the problem here? Going to the mall is ok but then you will want to go out at night, then you might keep secrets, then you might do something really bad…. I don’t want you to do something really bad. so… You can not go to the mall.

This fallacy occurs when we claim, without enough evidence, that a small or harmless action, will lead to a terrible outcome. Can you think of personal examples of this?

We should question this! Questionable Cause We should question this!

Sometimes people see connections between things that don’t really exist.

What’s Ernie’s argument? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5xrr4RyqaE

What’s wrong with this argument? I put a banana in my ear. There are no alligators around. Bananas in your ear keep away alligators. so…

What’s wrong with this argument? I drink a lot of green tea. I don’t get sick very often. so… Green tea stops people getting sick.

This fallacy occurs when someone concludes that one thing causes another simply because the two are associated on a regular basis. Can you think of personal examples of this?

Appeal to Ignorance Proof of a Yeti?

For hundreds of years, people have said that large, hairy monster called the Yeti lives in the Himalayan mountains. Some people call it Big Foot.

There is no scientific proof of this claim.

What’s wrong with this argument? I don’t know if the Yeti exists. Nobody can prove it doesn’t exist. The Yeti exists. therefore…

The pattern for an appeal to ignorance goes like this: If A* was true then I would know that it was true. I do not know if it is true. therefore… A must be false. *Try using something instead of A here (something someone believes but you don’t believe because you don’t have proof about e.g. Scientists say that there is a new planet)

And it goes in reverse too. If A* was false then I would know that it was false. I do not know if it is false. therefore… A must be true. *Try using something instead of A here (something someone believes but you believe even though you don’t have proof about e.g. Camel milk cures cancer.

This fallacy occurs when the arguer claims something is true because no one has proven it false (or must be false because no one has proven it true). Can you think of personal examples of this?

An authority is someone who is an expert on something. Appeal to Authority An authority is someone who is an expert on something.

 Which authority figures would you listen to? In what areas would you listen to them? Are they an expert in this field?

Is Justin Timberlake an expert on cameras? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLsQbsDKMLs What is this saying about Justin Timberlake?

What’s wrong with this argument? I want to buy the best camera I can. Justin Timberlake said the Sony is the best camera. so… I should buy a Sony camera.

What’s wrong with this argument?

This fallacy occurs the arguer cites a person who is not really an authority on the subject. Therefore, we can not trust the claim. Can you think of personal examples of this?

Appeal to Tradition

Have you ever heard of the Running of the Bulls? http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/jul/14/pamplona-running-bulls-four-injured-video

What’s wrong with this argument? It is our tradition for people to run in the streets in front of bulls. Traditional ways are better than modern ways. so… We should continue to run with the bulls.

What’s wrong with this argument? It is our tradition for boys to carry knives. They have always done this. Traditional ways are better than modern ways. so… Boys should carry knives.

What’s wrong with this argument? For hundreds of years, women did not go out to work. Traditional ways are better than modern ways. so… Women should not go out to work.

Can you make a fallacy for the UAE using a tradition that has changed with time? so…

This fallacy occurs when it is assumed that something is better simply because it is older, traditional, or it has "always has been done.” Can you think of personal examples of this?

Do you remember them all?

Practice of Fallacies of Insufficient Evidence "The US shouldn't get involved militarily in other countries. Once the government sends in a few troops, it will then send in thousands to die." Women should stay home and take care of the children, because they have filled these roles for centuries. “My classmate said that psychology class was hard, and the one I’m in is hard, too. All psychology classes must be hard!” Since the class has no questions concerning the topics discussed in class, the class is ready for a test. My mother says you must drink 1 gallon of water per day. “Is she a doctor?” “No, but she knows a lot about health.” I’m not going to watch the football match. Whenever I watch, my team loses.

Practice of Fallacies of Insufficient Evidence "The US shouldn't get involved militarily in other countries. Once the government sends in a few troops, it will then send in thousands to die." Slippery Slope Women should stay home and take care of the children, because they have filled these roles for centuries. Appeal to Tradition My classmate said that psychology class was hard, and the one I’m in is hard, too. All psychology classes must be hard!” Hasty Generalization Since the class has no questions concerning the topics discussed in class, the class is ready for a test. Appeal to Ignorance My mother says you must drink 1 gallon water per day. “Is she a doctor?” “No, but she knows a lot about health. “ Appeal to Authority I’m not going to watch the football match. Whenever I watch, my team loses. Questionable Cause

Additional Activities

More Practice Choose 1 fallacy of insufficient evidence and find an example (video or text). Explain why it is a fallacy What pattern is it following? What value of critical thinking does it not display? Explain how it could be improved What would be a better way to write this argument? Choose another fallacy In groups, write a scenario to create a fallacious argument