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Recognizing logical fallacies

 Recognizing logical fallacies. Here are a few tips. As an undergrad, I was always at odds with someone about something, usually based on logic (of some sort). So,

Tip #0. Listen very carefully. Don’t let fuzzy arguments sway you from genuine logic. Some will try. Let’s call this “blowing it past you.”

Tip #1, Be certain you are both using the same set of axioms, i.e. thing you accept as true. Not close sets of axioms but identical sets of axioms. Know particularly well your own axioms.

Tip #2. Be aware of the “stretch.” Your opponent, says A implies B. Well, maybe A implies B’, but to go to B is a stretch of logic, as in just beyond logical - not quite there. Something like sleight of hand.

Tip #3. Is your opponent using “authority” to make conclusions? For example, one says that Bertrand Russell said that, and thus you must believe it. Authority is often a powerful argument, often used by religious and political persons, to end the discussion.

Tip #4. Stand your ground. One important counterargument is to say not he/she is wrong, but his/hers premises do not support the conclusion being made.

Tip #5. Look for contradictions made by your opponent. Eventually, they may trip themselves up by using conflicting, as in changing, bases for arguing.

Tip #6. Stay calm at all times. Emotion can sway you from logic to opinion, and you might not even notice it.

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By the way, formally here are a few logical fallacies, just for your own information. The tips above indicate what to look for  when debating with a friend or opponent. 

  1. Ad hominem - attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.
  2. Straw man - misrepresenting the opponent's argument in order to make it easier to attack.
  3. False dilemma - presenting two options as the only possible options, when in fact there are other options available.
  4. Begging the question - assuming the truth of the conclusion in the premise of the argument.
  5. Circular reasoning - using the conclusion of an argument as one of the premises of the argument.
  6. Ad populum - appealing to the popularity of an idea as evidence for its truth.

The ancients used to take courses in rhetoric, which was essentially the art of debate. Learn this subject. Join a debate team.


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