argumentation - types and fallacies

8/2/2019 Argumentation - Types and Fallacies

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Argumentation

Argument Types and Fallacies


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Richard Weavers Argument Types

Definition unchanging qualities or essences; platonic ideal Ex: The nature of justice, or beauty, or freedom

(Lincoln: human nature) Analysis: How well are the qualities described?

Similitude analogy, metaphor, or causation Ex (analogy): The US addiction to oil Ex (causation): Increase in vaccination rates led to an increase in autism (common in law, ethics, and (sometimes) politics) Analysis: How accurate and relevant are similarities? or: Do these correlations

prove causation?

Circumstance facts, evidence at hand Ex: X got them a good result; we should do the same

(needle exchange programs, condoms in schools, state lotteries) Analysis: How credible is the evidence? How likely is the effect?

Testimony/Authoritycall on experts for unknowable matters Ex: Most climate experts agree humans have caused some global warming Analysis: How credible and relevant are the experts?


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Weavers Ultimate Terms

Powerful symbols; unarguable Reflect deep commonplaces, core elements of ideology Must be honored + sacrificed for OR rejected + destroyed

god terms Progress

Experts Change Green

New Independence Choice Facts Democracy

devil terms Terrorist

Prejudice Obese Waste

Ignorance 9/11 Hitler Bailout Boring


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Argumentative FallaciesProblems in reasoning (not merely mistaken facts)

Here are some of them: Ad Hominem (Argument To The Man) Affirming The Consequent

Amazing Familiarity Ambiguous Assertion Appeal To Anonymous Authority

Appeal To Coincidence Appeal To Complexity Appeal To False Authority

Appeal To Force Appeal To Widespread Belief (Bandwagon Argument, Peer Pressure, Appeal To Common

Practice) Argument By Dismissal

Argument By Emotive Language (Appeal To The People)

Argument By Fast Talking Argument By Generalization Argument By Gibberish (Bafflement) Argument By Half Truth (Suppressed Evidence)

Argument By Laziness (Argument By Uninformed Opinion) Argument By Personal Charm Argument By Pigheadedness (Doggedness)

Argument By Repetition (Argument Ad Nauseam) Argument By Selective Observation

Argument By Slogan Argument By Vehemence Argument From Adverse Consequences (Appeal To Fear, Scare Tactics)

Argument From Age (Wisdom of the Ancients) Argument From Authority Argument From False Authority

Argument From Personal Astonishment Argument From Spurious Similarity

Argument Of The Beard

Begging The Question (Assuming The Answer, Tautology) Burden Of Proof

Causal Reductionism (Complex Cause) Contrarian Argument Changing The Subject (Digression, Red Herring, Misdirection, False Emphasis)

Cliche Thinking Common Sense Complex Question (Tying) Confusing Correlation And Causation Disproof By Fallacy

Equivocation Error Of Fact

Euphemism Exception That Proves The Rule Excluded Middle (False Dichotomy, Faulty Dilemma, Bifurcation)

Extended Analogy Failure To State Fallacy Of Composition

Fallacy Of Division Fallacy Of The General Rule

Fallacy Of The Crucial Experiment False Cause False Compromise

Genetic Fallacy (Fallacy of Origins, Fallacy of Virtue) Having Your Cake (Failure To Assert, or Diminished Claim) Hypothesis Contrary To Fact

Inconsistency Inflation Of Conflict Internal Contradiction

Least Plausible Hypothesis Lies

Meaningless Questions Misunderstanding The Nature Of Statistics (Innumeracy) Moving The Goalposts (Raising The Bar, Argument By Demanding Impossible Perfection)

Needling Non Sequitur

Outdated Information Poisoning The Wells

Psychogenetic Fallacy Reductio Ad Absurdum Reductive Fallacy (Oversimplification) Reifying

Short Term Versus Long Term Slippery Slope Fallacy (Camel's Nose) Special Pleading (Stacking The Deck)

Statement Of Conversion Stolen Concept

Straw Man (Fallacy Of Extension) Two Wrongs Make A Right (Tu Quoque, You Too) Weasel Wording

Source: http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html
http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.htmlhttp://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.htmlhttp://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.htmlhttp://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.htmlhttp://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.htmlhttp://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html


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Fallacy Examples

Hasty Generalization based on inadequate sample(too small or atypical)

Its only the first day, but I can tell this class is going to be

boring The cops in State College are pricks. My friend and I both

got hassled and we werent even that drunk.


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Slippery Slope a series of increasingly serious (and oftenincreasingly unlikely) events stemming from a small action

Usually based on risk-aversion


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Fallacy Examples

Post hoc correlation without causation (technically:post hoc, ergo propter hoc: after this, therefore because

of this)

Measure M got worse once President X came into office; president Xcant handle M (where M is something like gas prices, the economy,

international relations, unemployment, optimism ratings, etc.)

Source: statfail.com


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Fallacy Examples

False Dichotomy (the Either/Or Fallacy)

America: love it or leave it.

A real friend would cover for me. (Really? When you justshot someone? Variation of youre either for us or against us.)

Either we cut the Department of Defense, or elsefuture retirees wont get the Social Securitybenefits they need.


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Fallacy Examples

Bandwagon Fallacy (Appeal to Popularity, Appeal to Consensus)

Just because everyone agrees doesnt make it right, true,or best

Its the most popular X on the market. Everyone else is selfish; you shouldnt feel bad for seeking

your own happiness when everyone else is, too.

Source: Andrew Schmidt / publicdomainpictures.net


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Fallacy Examples

Begging the Question Circular reasoning; requires acceptance of aconclusion identical to the premise

Murder is morally wrong; therefore, active euthanasia is morally wrong.

ESP is real because I have had experiences that couldnt be explained (unlessESP was real).

Freedom of speech is important because it gives everyone a voice.

Usually these are trickier to spot than the examples above, following achain (A is true because B is true; B is true because C is true; C is truebecause A is true). Or they use synonyms:

Free trade will be good for this country. The reason is patently clear. Isn't itobvious that unrestricted commercial relations will bestow on all sections ofthis nation the benefits which result when there is an unimpeded flow ofgoods between countries? (Quoted from With Good Reason, by S. MorrisEngel)


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Some resources on argumentative fallacies:

UNC Writing Center

Purdue Online Writing Lab

The Art of Conversational Terrorism
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/fallacieshttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/http://www.vandruff.com/art_converse.htmlhttp://www.vandruff.com/art_converse.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/fallacies

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