Fallacies In emotional argument in ethical argument in

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Fallacies In emotional argument, in ethical argument, in logical argument

Fallacies In emotional argument, in ethical argument, in logical argument

Today Begin Fallacies Finding Fallacies

Today Begin Fallacies Finding Fallacies

Fallacies Arguments that are flawed by their very structure Undermine frank but civil conversation

Fallacies Arguments that are flawed by their very structure Undermine frank but civil conversation

1. Emotional Fallacies Emotional arguments can have validity, but by going too far, emotional

1. Emotional Fallacies Emotional arguments can have validity, but by going too far, emotional fallacies violate the good faith on which legitimate arguments depend. Scare tactics, slippery slope, either-or choices, overly sentimental appeals, bandwagon appeals

1 a. Scare Tactics Prey on people’s legitimate fears creating panic or prejudice People

1 a. Scare Tactics Prey on people’s legitimate fears creating panic or prejudice People who fear losing their jobs may be manipulated into thinking that immigrants will take their jobs People who live off of Medicare programs may be convinced that a small change can alter their whole life.

1 b. Either-or choices One way to simplify an argument is to reduce complicated

1 b. Either-or choices One way to simplify an argument is to reduce complicated issues to just two options, one obviously preferable to another Though some choices really only do have two options, they become fallacious when they reduce a complicated issue to excessively simple terms or obscure legitimate alternatives.

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=m. Bs 8 wqq. RQ 3 M

https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=m. Bs 8 wqq. RQ 3 M

1 c. Slippery slope A slippery slope fallacy portrays one of today’s small missteps

1 c. Slippery slope A slippery slope fallacy portrays one of today’s small missteps as tomorrow’s slide into disaster. “Is anyone else bored to tears with the ‘slippery slope’ arguments against gay marriage? since few opponents of homosexual unions are brace enough to admit that gay weddings just freak them our, they hide behind the claim that it’s an inexorable slide from legalizing gay marriage to having sex with penguins outside JC Penneys. The problem is it’s virtually impossible to debate against a slipper slope. While actions do have consequences, they are seldom as dire as slippery-slope writers make them out to be.

1 d. Overly sentimental appeals use tender emotions excessively to distract readers from facts.

1 d. Overly sentimental appeals use tender emotions excessively to distract readers from facts. Focus on heartwarming or heart wrenching situations to make the reader feel guilty if they challenge an idea, policy, or a proposal. Emotions become an impediment to civil discourse when they keep people from thinking clearly. Where do we see this?

1 e. Bandwagon appeals urge people to follow the same path everyone else is

1 e. Bandwagon appeals urge people to follow the same path everyone else is taking. Rather than think independently about where to go, it’s often easier to get one board the bandwagon with everyone else. Think of kids whining about not being allowed to go to a concert: What does this conversation look like? What are some bandwagon appeals you can think of?

2. FALLACIES OF ETHICAL ARGUMENT We give attention to authors we respect and trust:

2. FALLACIES OF ETHICAL ARGUMENT We give attention to authors we respect and trust: Writers want to present themselves as likable, informed, or sympathetic.

2 a. False Authority False authority occurs when writers offer themselves or other authorities

2 a. False Authority False authority occurs when writers offer themselves or other authorities as sufficient warrants for believing a claim: Claim: X is true because I say so Warrant: What I say must be true.

2 a. False Authority Many political campaigns run on false authority. Citing the U.

2 a. False Authority Many political campaigns run on false authority. Citing the U. S. Constitution or Bill of Rights: The rights don’t always mean what the speaker says they do. Religious people citing the Bible: Though meaningful to them, the Bible is not necessarily an authority to other people: The power of that text is limited to that group.

2 b. Dogmatism WHen a writer asserts that a position is the only right

2 b. Dogmatism WHen a writer asserts that a position is the only right or conceivable one, that’s dogmatism. When people imply that no arguments are necessary: the truth is self evident and needs no support. Be aware of when someone suggests that an issue is not open for debate—whether on the grounds that its sexist, insensitive, offensive, unpatriotic, blasphemous, etc.

2 c. Ad Hominem arguments (Latin: “to the man”) Ad Hominem arguments attack the

2 c. Ad Hominem arguments (Latin: “to the man”) Ad Hominem arguments attack the character of the person rather than the claims he or she makes. When you attack someone’s credibility, you either destroy their ability to make successful appeals or distract from the successful appeals they are making.

3. Fallacies of Logical Argument Fallacies in logical argument occur when claims and proofs

3. Fallacies of Logical Argument Fallacies in logical argument occur when claims and proofs are insufficient, invalid, or disconnected. Online psychics and indeed, political campaigns, rely largely on logical fallacies. hasty generalization, straw man, red herring.

3 a. Stacking the Deck Just as gamblers stack the deck by arranging cards

3 a. Stacking the Deck Just as gamblers stack the deck by arranging cards to be sure that they win, writers stack the deck when they show only one side of the story. In the documentary film Supersize Me, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ate only Mc. Donalds for 45 days to show the drastic health consequences—weight gain among them. But what he failed to show is what would happen if you ate fast food every day as well as exercised and took vitamins. The fallacy is that he does not show more than a single possible outcome.

Stacking the Deck In the documentary film Supersize Me, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ate only

Stacking the Deck In the documentary film Supersize Me, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ate only Mc. Donalds for 45 days to show the drastic health consequences—weight gain among them. But what he failed to show is what would happen if you ate fast food every day as well as exercised and took vitamins. The fallacy is that he does not show more than a single possible outcome.

3. b Hasty Generalizations A hasty generalization is an inference drawn from insufficient evidence.

3. b Hasty Generalizations A hasty generalization is an inference drawn from insufficient evidence. Because my Honda broke down, all Hondas must be junk. To draw valid inferences, you must have sufficient evidence

Hasty generalizations WAIT: wasn’t the whole point of learning inductive reasoning to show we

Hasty generalizations WAIT: wasn’t the whole point of learning inductive reasoning to show we can take specific examples and then create reasonable generalizations? YES. But use appropriate qualifiers: some, a few, many, most, occasionally, rarely, possible, in some cases, in my limited experience.

3 c. Straw Man Those who resort to a straw man fallacy attack an

3 c. Straw Man Those who resort to a straw man fallacy attack an argument that isn’t really there, one often much more extreme than the speaker is making. The person sets up a “straw man” that’s easy to knock down, proceeds to do so, and claims victory over the opponent.

3 d. Red Herring This fallacy gets its name from the old British hunting

3 d. Red Herring This fallacy gets its name from the old British hunting practice of dragging a dried herring across the auth of the fox in order to throw the hounds off the trail. A red herring fallacy does just that: It changes the topic midway through the argument to throw the reader or listener off the trail.

Fallacy Jeopardy Politics 100 Politics 200 Politics 300 Movies, TV, music 100 200 300

Fallacy Jeopardy Politics 100 Politics 200 Politics 300 Movies, TV, music 100 200 300 Advertising 100 Advertising 200 Advertising 300 College Issues 100 College Issues 200 College Issues 300

Homework! Create a fallacy comic or advertisement! 1 -4 boxes Clearly demonstrate a fallacy

Homework! Create a fallacy comic or advertisement! 1 -4 boxes Clearly demonstrate a fallacy in action (your choice!) Quality illustration and coloration is a must! Due Monday