1 II IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 2 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION IRRELEVANT

1 II. IRRELEVANT INFORMATION

2 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION IRRELEVANT o o immaterial, unrelated, inappropriate off-topic, extraneous, beside the point n n n The data is NOT germane to the present case. One of the premises is not relevant to the conclusion. Not related to Often diversionary. the argument at hand

3 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION DIVERSIONARY TACTICS o o They introduce ideas that are off-topic. Their data is NOT germane to the present case. Diversions, Distractions from the argument at hand

4 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 1) AD BACULUM: n n intimidation threat of harm: o o n n physical or psychological * economical, political, environmental extortion, blackmail Baculum: o o backed into a corner with your back against the wall

5 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of AD BACULUM: n n “If citizens don’t start patronizing downtown stores, then businesses will be forced to close and then the city will be in ruin. ” “If you don’t (believe in God, convert to our religion, illegalize that practice), then you’ll burn in Hell! “. . . In any case, I know your phone number and I know where you live. Have I mentioned I am licensed to carry concealed weapons? ” “If we make abortions illegal, women will be getting butchered again in back alleys. ” (ad misericordiam, slippery slope)

6 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 2) AD HOMINEM: n n v n n *name calling personal attack, insults attack the person, not the facts, issue, or argument/claim a way to avoid dealing with the issue (*diversion) Hominem: “homo” = “man” o o Homo habilis, erectus, neanderthalensis, sapiens foreign words for man: hombre or hommé species

7 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 1. *PLEASE NOTE* A bad person does not necessarily mean a bad argument (conclusion, point). n 2. (even a broken clock…) Accusations against the person are NOT a fallacy IF the characteristics under attack are relevant to the argument. n For example, if a politician is irresponsible & dishonest in her/his personal life, then it is reasonable to think that s/he may be the same in public office.

8 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of AD HOMINEM: n n n “What does he know; look at the way he’s dressed. ” “What can a priest tell us about marriage since he’s never been married himself. ” (AA) “My doctor is overweight, so why should I listen to anything he has to say. ” (Dr. Adkins) “I won’t see a Jayne Smith movie because she’s a drug addict. ” (private life vs. professional record) “Since you don’t support gay marriages, you must be a homophobe. ” (racist, sexist)

9 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of AD HOMINEM: n n “You claim that atheists can be moral — yet I happen to know that you abandoned your wife and children. ” “Hitler would be very proud of you” (in response to practically any conclusion or decision). “Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable to kill animals for food. I hope you won’t argue otherwise, given that you're quite happy to wear leather shoes. ” “Of course you’d argue that positive discrimination is a bad thing. You’re white. ”

10 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 3) FALLACY of OPPOSITION: n n n *name calling whatever comes from the opposition is automatically wrong AND detrimental assumes nothing good could come from those we oppose Us vs. Them EXAMPLE: “Of course you’d say that, you’re an atheist, hippie, teenager, Democrat …. ” (a member of the opposing group)

11 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 4) GENETIC FALLACY: o *name calling o assumes where the idea came from affects its validity n n o o country, paper, school usually geographic akin to elitism, snobbery we come from our genes, n genes genetic fallacy

12 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 4) GENETIC FALLACY EXAMPLES: n n n “The quality of those products is poor because they come from China (any country). ” “Cars made in the USA (any country) are junks. ” “Because that idea comes from a community college, it must be flawed, erroneous, or just plain wrong. ” *NB: Sometimes this fallacy refers to people – what we could call a “Fall. of the Ancients or Antiquity” – or to a past time/era or practice/original meaning – “Fall. of Etymology, ” so to speak – so that something is good or bad based on who said it, when it was coined, or where it came from [akin to Arg. Ad Antiquatem & Populum]: (+) Plato said or the Ancients Greeks believed, (-) Hitler did or this tradition began with the Barbarians …. sometimes called the Appeal to Virtue Fall. or Fall. of Origins (rather than its current meaning or context)

13 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 5) GUILT by ASSOCIATION: n n birds of a feather stick together assumes a person’s behaviors must extend to their friends, to those around them *EXAMPLES: n n The Red Scare of the 1950 s Obama attack ads: Mc. Cain with President Bush “Everyone who went that party got arrested, even those who weren’t above the weather. “Sally abuses drugs, so as her friend you must, too. ”

14 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 6) AD MISERICORDIAM: n an abuse of emotions o n n manipulation & obfuscation (*diversion) irrelevant o n esp. fear, pity, guilt & sex! evoke pitiful image or situation, without basis, to distract from the issue relies wholly on pity (e. g. ), instead of proof, evidence *BAD PATHOS*

15 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of AD MISERICORDIAM: n photos of kids: war, famine, AIDS, disaster n “I couldn’t write my paper because my son, daughter, mother, girlfriend, neighbor down the street was sick. ” n “I did not murder my mother and father with an axe! Please don’t find me guilty; I’m suffering enough through being an orphan. ”

16 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 7) AD POPULUM: n n appeals to the “populace” biases & prejudices appeals to tradition, halcyon days tells people what they want to hear, what they want to believe o o “working the audience” or “pandering to the audience” trying to be “popular” NOT offering proof SLOGANS and SOUND BITES subvert the reasoning process because they do not define terms n which can mean whatever people want them to mean or n whatever people say they mean o what exactly are “family values”? !

17 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of AD POPULUM: o o sound bites, slogans, bumper stickers, tee shirts appeals to patriotism, change for change’s sake political cartoons, late-night-TV monologues or punch lines, Comedy Central shows if it appears on a poster, tee shirt, bumper sticker • • • “If guns are outlawed, then only outlaws will have guns. ” “Zippo. It’s the grand old lighter that’s made right here in the good ol’ USA. …” (patriotism) “Freedom isn’t free. ” “No blood for oil. ” “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people. ” “Just say no. ”

18 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 8) BANDWAGON: n n Argumentum ad numerum right/valid because popular o o n n jump on the bandwagon, join the parade do because others do: o n popularity over proof appeals or refers to NUMBERS peer pressure, group or mob identity, conformity BUT you can be correct even if no one else agrees with you (Copernicus, Columbus)

19 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of BANDWAGON: n n # “Sixty million people can’t be wrong. ” “Over 5 million Americans have already switched to Grizzly Insurance. ” “Last December, over 100 million people worldwide tuned in to see a television phenomenon: don’t be left out when Knucklehead TV returns in March. ” “Everybody’s doing it anyway, so we might as well legalize it (lower the age). ”

20 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION o o *Similar to: Argumentum ad numerum AND to Argumentum ad populum. It consists of asserting that the more people who support or believe a proposition, the more likely it is that proposition is correct. For example: n “The vast majority of people in this country believe that capital punishment has a noticeable deterrent effect. To suggest that it doesn’t in the face of so much evidence is ridiculous. ” Or “All I'm saying is that thousands of people believe in pyramid power, so there must be something to it. ” *Similar to: Appeal to Tradition: right/valid because it’s old; since it’s lasted this long, it should continue. ex: “Since the Fiesta Club has been an exclusive male-only society since its founding at the turn of the 20 th century, it should continue to exist in the same manner & form. ”

21 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 9) PLAIN FOLKS and SNOB APPEAL: n n valid/right because appeals to a certain social class valid/right because it is popular with a certain class o n opposite of the Genetic Fallacy These are 2 different fallacies, but same “coin. ”

22 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 9) PLAIN FOLKS and SNOB APPEAL: Plain Folks Appeal: o do because the ordinary person does n n (& avoid the pretensions of snobs) poor, working classes = o o n n n unpretentious, modest, humble, unspoiled, salt-of-the-earth Family Values, hard working, “bootstraps, ” patriotism False Dichotomy: o Snob Appeal: o do because rich/popular/beautiful do Poor = simplicity, virtue, and humility Rich = excesses, greed, and immorality one of the boys, one of you, regular guy, meat-&-potatoes keepin’ it real, down home, down on the farm, boondocks appeal to poverty (*celebrity endorsements) rich, upper classes = o o n n refined, sophisticated, elegant, classy, chic, stylish Money as a sign of superiority, success the more expensive something is = the better it is the more money a person has = the better, smarter, more successful s/he is uptown, bling, jiggy (originally), looks like we made it or arrived (success) appeal to wealth

23 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of PLAIN FOLKS & SNOB APPEAL: n n n “Why pay fancy salon prices for a shampoo? ” “Family values will return America to world prominence. ” “Mark Twain said, ‘The clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. ’ So, if you want to be a winner, you’ve got to look like a winner, which means you need a Rolex watch, Italian shoes, and a Lexus to be successful. ” “Use the deodorant that professional athletes like Illiterate Joe use. ” (appeals to reader’s vanity) Joe the Plumber ads

24 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of PLAIN FOLKS & SNOB APPEAL: n n Think of 2 diametrically opposed musical genres. also known as: o o Argumentum ad Lazarum: The fallacy of assuming that someone poor is sounder or more virtuous than someone who's wealthier. This fallacy is the opposite of the Argumentum ad Crumenam (which assumes they’re right because of they’re wealthy). For example: “Monks are more likely to possess insight into the meaning of life, as they have given up the distractions of wealth. ”

25 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 10) AD VERECUNDIAM: n n n inappropriate use of authority assumes that because a person is an expert in one field that s/he is an expert in another poor or irrelevant (“unwarranted”) credentials o o wrong field of expertise *celebrity endorsements OR n n the use of an obscure, hard to find source hard to find = hard to refute *BAD ETHOS*

26 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of AD VERECUNDIAM: Bad: n n “I play a doctor on TV, so take this new OTC pill. ” “Isaac Newton was a genius and he believed in God, so you should, too. ” “Dr. Housenick claims stem cell research for the development of cures for various diseases is (is not) a worthy venture. ” “Because my parents were unavailable, I asked my English teacher for permission to stay out late. ” Good: n “Dr. Stephen Hawking has concluded that black holes give off radiation; therefore, there is a strong chance that they exist. ”

27 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of AD VERECUNDIAM: Bad:

28 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 11) RED HERRING: n n *diversion skirt the issue; obfuscate the truth use an irrelevant point or a side issue to lead away from the issue at hand a false scent

29 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of RED HERRING: n n “Sure, the Chargers had a bad year, but what about the Redskins. ” “While it may be true that we withheld vital information from the public regarding the dangerous side effects of our products, while it may be true that we sought ways to enhance our products with addictive substances, and while it may be true that we profited immensely from all this, have you taken into consideration the fact that we have given bottled water to disaster victims and other acts of community involvement? ”

30 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of RED HERRING: n Past students have brought up crime shows, mysteries, and even some horror movies that use the Red Herring as a literary device to divert readers’/viewers’ attention away from the real killer: o n They set up one character to be the criminal and then (surprise!) it turns out to be someone else. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo even had a character called Red Herring because of this:

31 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 12) STRAWMAN ARGUMENT: n n a. k. a. Weak Opponent a. k. a. Scarecrow Argument *diversion, name calling Think of a person beating up a scarecrow. o o n not much of a fight setting up an easy target to make yourself look good like: o o Tu Quoque Ad Hoc False Dilemma Reductio ad Absurdum

32 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION (A) EASY TARGET o invent or use a convenient opponent that can be attacked (or applauded) … without fear of retaliation n an easy target o n Britney Spears, KKK, Nazis or Hitler, POTUS a label o v o v v refer to a generic/vague group or label as proof, illustration no real person involved no true subject of the argument is identified no proof is offered n (make statement as if it were an established fact without establishing it as fact) label = unfair, inaccurate, manufactured solely for the argument stereotypes, overgeneralizations n (*based on personal biases/prejudices) could be positive group: n the heroic war dead, brave immigrants (**no specific person indicated**)

33 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION (B) EXAGGERATION or CARICATURE: o o set up merely to attack or to make yourself look good (right, smarter, stronger) an exaggerated or caricatured version of your opponent's position, set up to attack your opponent’s weakest argument, one s/he is not even offering n n n put words into the opponent’s mouth ** like Reductio ad Absurdum EX: think Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley or Donkey EX: Responding to an opposing politicians assertion that the country should no longer fund the “Star Wars” program, the junior congresswoman from Missouri used the following Straw Man argument: “I strongly disagree with Senator Smith’s argument to rescind our funding. I can't understand why she wants to leave us defenseless like that. ” EX: Not only is it a False Analogy and Loaded Language argument, but it is also a Straw Man argument to exaggerate or twist the opposition’s position in order to draw a connection or comparison between s/he and Hitler.

34 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of STRAWMAN: o o o Richard Nixon’s 1952 Checkers speech (weak argument) “kids/students today” (no real kid/student) “moral majority” (who are these people? ) “welfare cheats” (do they really exist? ) “liberal media” (is it really? all? proof? ) “To be an atheist, you have to believe with absolute certainty that there is no God. In order to convince yourself with absolute certainty, you must examine all the Universe and all the places where God could possibly be. Since you obviously haven't, your position is indefensible. ” (weakest argument)

35 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 13) TU QUOQUE: (too kwo-kway) n n n “you did it too” justify actions because accusers are supposedly guilty of same crime 2 wrongs make 1 right (see AD POPULUM)

36 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of TU QUOQUE: n n “You did it too when you were my age. ” quote: “It’s ok that I dis white people on my show because they’ve been doing it to us for years. ” “How can you criticize my driving when you’ve had five accidents yourself? ” “Why shouldn’t I cheat on my taxes? Everyone else does. ”

37 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION 14) OVERSIMPLIFICATION: n n n like: Post Hoc, Overgeneralization overlooks the complexity of an issue *no critical examination of the issue narrows complex issue down to single cause BUT an issue has more than 1 side (more than 2 sides) o o legal, moral, religious, political, racial, philosophical. . . an effect always has more than one reason/cause

38 IRRELEVANT INFORMATION *EXAMPLES of OVERSIMPLIFICATION: n n “Kids are fat because they eat too much Mc. Donald’s. ” “The only reason we’re at war with Iraq is over oil. ” o n n An ad populum statement may say, “No Blood for Oil!” “It’s as simple as that. ” “Today’s college students can’t spell because of spellcheckers on computers. ”

END PART 3 B