Logical Fallacies
are arguments made with bad reasoning.
Reason is basically what we call, when someone thinks, understands, and makes judgments by a process of logic. Reason is how we rule out impossibilities and irrational thoughts from our fallible minds when we are trying to explain something of truth. Any argument can be made using irrational thinking which makes any argument completely useless and provides no real basis of truth unless it follows reason.
Below are some examples of logical fallacies:
Ad hominem: Claiming that something someone says is false because of unfavorable characteristics about that person. (Hitler was a vegetarian; therefore you're a Nazi if you're a vegetarian.)
Appeal to belief: The claim that since someone believes something, it must make it true. (A lot of people believe in Christianity, so it must be true.)
Appeal to authority: The claim that since someone (is an expert or says he is) makes what they are claiming true. (Deepak Chopra says that consciousness is real, since he is an expert on consciousness, this is a fact.)
Appeal to tradition: The claim that since something has always been done this way, it makes it the correct thing to do. (i.e. slavery is okay, just because people have always had slaves.)
Argument from ignorance: The claim that something is true just because it has not been proven false. (This is one example of shifting the burden of proof.)
Burden of Proof: Shifting the burden of proof in which you are asking someone to prove a negative. Anyone making an assertion must always hold the burden of proof.
Circular Reasoning: (i.e. God is real because the Bible says he is, the Bible is real because it is the word of God)
Appeal to Emotion: The claim that things that cause bad feelings must be bad/evil, things that cause good feelings must be good.
Slippery Slope: The claim that a relatively small even will lead to outlandishly huge consequences. (i.e. If gays are allowed to marry, it will destroy the institution of marriage, children, and families.)
False Dichotomy: Making a claim that A and B are true, then asserting if one is false the other has to be true. (i.e. If you're not with us, you're against us. or If you want better teachers, you have to raise taxes. If you don't raise taxes, you can't have better teachers.)
Cherry Picking: Choosing evidence that is favorable to your claim while purposely concealing or leaving out evidence that is favorable to your opponents.
False Generalization: The claim that since one member of a group acts a certain way, then all members must do the same.
Red Herring: Changing the topic while making it appear they are related to avoid discussing the actual premise. (Claim: We shouldn't be bailing out the banks. Response: Well, during economic struggle we should support the president.)
Loaded Question: A question containing an assumption, said in order to trap you into answering it in a specific way in favor of your opponent.
Straw Man: Making an argument to misrepresent a person's claim or argument. (i.e. Claim: Sunny days are good. Response: If all days were Sunny, we'd have no rain and all plant life would die.)
Quote Mining: It appeals to the "Appeal to Authority" fallacy; using an authority to prove your claim, while misrepresenting what that authority actually says.
It is important to understand how logic works and why it must be used when arguing facts. You might think that this information is only practical if you're on a debate team somewhere or just really enjoy arguing with people. The fact is; this applies also to your thought process and beliefs. To justify a belief as rational it must pass the test of logic. If it does not, then it is an irrational belief. The human brain is not perfect and makes logical fallacies if the thinker does not actively apply reason to their thought process.
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