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Brian A. Ray Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Fallacies of Presumption, Ambiguity,and Grammatical Analogy
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Fallacies of Presumption:
Overview
Begging the Question
Complex Question
Non SequiturDoes Not Follow
False Dichotomy
Suppressed Evidence
Equivocation
Amphiboly
Composition
Division
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Begging the Question: Definition
This fallacy occurs when an arguer uses
some form of phraseology to conceal a keypremise that may be unsupported by
argument.
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Begging the Question: Examples
Murder is morally wrong. This being the
case, it follows that abortion is morally wrong.
Comment :Ignores the fact that the argument
doesnt prove that abortion is murder, which is thereal point of controversy.
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Complex Question: Definition
This fallacy occurs when a single question
that is really two (or more) questions is asked
and a single answer is then applied to both
questions
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Complex Question: Examples
Do you still beat your wife?
Comment :However you answer this question, itcommits you to saying that you engaged in this
behavior in the past.
Have you stopped cheating on exams?
Comment :Supposes that you have cheated in
the past.
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Non SequiturDoes Not Follow:
Definition
This fallacy occurs when the arguer attempts
to link two or more ideas that are not logicallyrelated as if they are connected or causative.
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Non SequiturDoes Not Follow:
Examples
If Americans can send a man to the moon,
then we can cure cancer and defeat AIDS.
Comment: The technology and knowledge
required to send men to the moon is distinctly
different from that needed to cure cancer andAIDS.
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False Dichotomy: Definition
This fallacy occurs when the arguer assumes
there are only two alternatives when in fact
there are more than two.
This is often referred to as the either or
fallacy.
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False Dichotomy: Example
Either you buy only American-made products
or you dont deserve to be called a loyalAmerica. Yesterday you bought a new
Toyota. Its clear you dont deserve to be
called a loyal American.
Comment :The person may still be a very loyal
citizen.
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Suppressed Evidence: Definition
Occurs in inductive arguments that ignore
some important piece of evidence thatoutweighs the presented evidence and
entails a very different conclusion.
Difficult to detect because you must know
about the details of the case.
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Suppressed Evidence: Example
Used car salesman: This car is a great
value. Its clean and has low mileage.
Comment :The salesman may not be telling you
that the car had been in a serious crash.
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Equivocation: Definition
Occurs when the conclusion of an argument
depends on the fact that a word or phrase isused, either explicitly or implicitly, in two
different senses in the argument. Such
arguments are either invalid or have a false
premise.
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Equivocation: Example
Some triangles are obtuse. Whatever is
obtuse is ignorant, so some triangles areignorant.
Comment :Obtuse is used in two ways:
Greater than 90 degrees
Not smart
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Amphiboly: Definition
Occurs when the arguer misinterprets a
statement that is syntactically orgrammatically ambiguous and proceeds to
draw a conclusion based on this faulty
interpretation.
Its important to keep in mind that it is thefaulty conclusion that is the fallacy, not the
misplaced/ambiguous statement.
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Amphiboly: Example
Professor Johnson said that he will give alecture about heart failure in the biologylecture hall. It must be the case that anumber of heart failures have occurred thererecently.
Comment :The phrase in the biology lecturehall should be placed immediately after lectureinstead of heart failure.
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Composition: Definition
This fallacy occurs when the conclusion of an
argument depends on the erroneoustransference of an attribute from the part of
something to the whole.
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Composition: Example
Each sentence in this composition is well-
written. Therefore, the whole essay is well-written.
Comment :It doesnt follow from the fact that
each individual sentence is well written that thewhole essay is well written.
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Division: Definition
Occurs when the conclusion of an argument
depends on the erroneous transference of anattribute from a whole (or a class) onto its
parts (or members).
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Division: Example
America is a wealthy country. Bill Smith is an
American; therefore, he is wealthy.
Comment :Even though it is true that the country
as a whole is wealthy, it doesnt follow that each
individual in the country is a wealthy individual.
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Fallacies of Presumption: Review
Begging the Question
Complex Question
Non SequiturDoes Not Follow
False Dichotomy
Suppressed Evidence
Equivocation
Amphiboly
Composition
Division
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