42 Fallacies

http://blog.talkingphilosophy.com/?p=2139

by danso • 15 years ago

12 3 15 years ago

blog.talkingphilosophy.com

Nota bene:

1. Informal fallacies are highly sensitive to context. Even ad hominems can be valid under the right circumstances.

2. In actual arguments, trotting out fancy-sounding fallacy names is rarely the correct play. You'll either be wrong and look foolish [1], or be right and look like a bully. It's lose-lose. Better to think of arguments like debugging: you need to explicitly step through the other side's statements, locate the problem(s), etc.

(These are general observations from a former rhetoric and argumentation teacher. They're directed at no one in particular.)

[1] Straw man, ad hominem, appeal to authority, and appeal to popularity seem to be the most common offenders.

deadcyclo• 15 years ago

I completely agree with you. On the other hand, good knowledge and understanding of them can be very useful when formulating ones own arguments.

But running around telling people their argument is invalid because it is X, simply makes one look like an ass.

seagaia• 15 years ago

Wow, this is pretty cool, thanks for sharing. Interesting to see a name put on all of these argumentative structures that pop up.

42 Fallacies

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