Logical Fallacies

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http://wn.com/logical_fallacies_the_cri ... eme_part_1


A whole series on critical thinking. Well worth going through (though I know a good number are already familiar).

Brilliant post, as always, ska.

Though I doubt the people who need to review them are that interested.

They might be, the issue is that often, people interpret them differently, and use them and misuse them for the purpose of dismissing an opponent's argument, often in the resulting of commiting a fallacy themselves by doing so. Pointing out a fallacy can be a valid thing to do, but invalid as well, depending on what I mentioned. A part from that, there should be a reminder that fallacy does not always equal falsehood.

Last edited by greenblue on 13 Sep 2010, 7:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"That's ad hominem, you idiot."

Still my favorite quote ever (especially since it was a misrepresentation of my argument, which was that the argument was fallacious).

I don't think it's entirely accurate, however. Argumentum ad veracundiam is a little different than what he's saying, for example. Saying that something is physics is necessarily true because Stephen Hawking said it is, actually, a logical fallacy. Saying that he's more knowledgeable in the area and thus is more likely to be right than people involved in the argument is not a fallacy.

I also think that ad baculum should really have had a separate part instead of just being included in emotion. Of course, that could be my bias because of how often it's happened in my life.