Everything’s An Argument

What’s WRONG with this Argument?

• Clinton is privately immoral, therefore all his public policies are immoral

• An Ad Hominem

An Attack on the Person, Not the Argument

Not Fair!!

Think before you…Think

• Women are bad drivers• Scots are stingy• Italians are romantic

• Hasty Generalizations• are often wrong

What’s WRONG with this Argument?

• 20% of Doctors Recommend this Product!!

• A claim made by an official-sounding (or -looking) expert

• What’s WRONG with that??? Well…

• Is he in a position to KNOW?

What’s WRONG with this Argument?

• Coca-Cola is the best drink because it’s the best-selling; therefore it’s the best drink

• Circular Logic = False Logic

What’s WRONG with….

• We can’t prove there are no ghosts, therefore, ghosts exist

• We can’t prove humans caused global warming, so they didn’t

• When we claim that something is true because it can’t be proved WRONG, we are

• Arguing from IGNORANCE

• If things continue like this, the stock market will crash

• If you keep getting B’s, you won’t go to a good college

• The Slippery Slope!• (Are you REALLY going to FALL?)

What’s WRONG with….

• Public health advocates want to distribute condoms in elementary schools

• • The STRAW MAN • argument…• So easy to beat up!

What’s WRONG with….

What’s WRONG with….

• Using the results of Holocaust medical experiments?

• Are they TAINTED by Evil?• This thinking is called a

GENETIC FALLACY

What’s Wrong with…

• This Internet stock soared; therefore, all Internet stocks will soar

• Over-Generalizing =• Bad Idea.

And its Companion…

• Credit cards are bad because they make people get into debt

• Oversimplification

And this related FALLACY

• Either I get into Harvard, or I am a failure

• The FALSE DILEMMA

Here’s a common RETORT Fallacy

• “You lied!” “Oh yeah, well you’re a bigger liar.”

• Tu Quoque!!(Thou Also!!)

Fallacies of LOGIC

• When I go to a game, my team loses; therefore, I make my team lose

• Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc??• (After this, therefore

Caused by this?)

Is IT WRONG to say that if…

• Benjamin Franklin rose from poverty, so anyone else can ???

• • A false ANALOGY--• A led to B does not necessarily mean

that C will lead to D!

What about Statistics??

• Bankruptcies have doubled!!

• …from 1% to 2% of population• Big Wow.

Follow the CROWD?

• Only the best use x. Everyone uses x.

• The AD POPULIM method—appeal to the crowd...

• Is the Crowd always right??

Here’s One Teachers Often Hear• You can’t give me a C because I am an A

student!• (Implied Warrant: A students don’t get Cs)• I can’t be guilty of embezzlement—I am an

honest person!• (Implied Warrant: honest people don’t• Steal)• Begging the Question

And the ARGUMENT that ENDS All Argument…

• “Because I said so.”

• The Appeal to POWER• AKA the Mom Phenom