Informal Fallacies In This Assignment You Will Compose Three
Informal Fallaciesin This Assignment You Will Compose Three Original
In this assignment, you will compose three original examples of informal fallacy arguments. This assignment allows you to examine common fallacies in everyday reasoning. First, draft two original fallacies without explicitly identifying the type of fallacy, allowing your peers to determine which fallacy each example represents. Next, using the Internet, research a third informal fallacy that is not already discussed in your textbook. Identify and define this fallacy, providing an appropriate citation for your source. Construct an original argument that demonstrates this fallacy, supporting your statements with examples and scholarly references. Your initial response should be 1–2 paragraphs long, adhering to APA standards for source citations.
Paper For Above instruction
In this exercise, I will create three original examples of informal fallacies, with two of them left for peer identification and one supported by scholarly research. Informal fallacies are common errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument, often appearing persuasive but ultimately flawed. They are prevalent in everyday conversations, media, and political discourse, which makes understanding and identifying them essential for critical thinking.
The first fallacy example I present involves the slippery slope fallacy. Imagine someone arguing, "If we allow students to redo their exams, soon they’ll expect to retake every test until they get perfect scores, and education will lose all meaning." This reasoning suggests without evidence that a minor action will inevitably lead to extreme consequences, a hallmark of the slippery slope fallacy. Viewers are challenged to recognize the unwarranted causal chain proposed without supporting evidence.
The second fallacy example involves the bandwagon fallacy: "Everyone is buying this new phone, so it must be the best option available." This argument appeals to popular sentiment rather than factual evidence, implying that the popularity of a product determines its quality. It exemplifies how social proof can be misused to justify beliefs or actions based solely on herd behavior rather than rational evaluation.
For the third fallacy, I researched the false dilemma or false dichotomy, a fallacy which presents only two options when more exist. According to Walton (2010), a false dilemma occurs "when an argument presents a situation as if there are only two alternatives, when in fact other options are available" (p. 134). An original example is: "You either support the new policy, or you don't care about the community's future." This statement overlooks other positions, such as support with reservations or alternative solutions, simplifying complex issues into binary choices.
Understanding these fallacies is vital for assessing the strength of arguments critically. Recognizing how these flawed reasoning patterns operate enables individuals to avoid being misled and to formulate more sound, logical arguments themselves. Educational efforts focusing on these informal fallacies contribute to more critical media consumption and reasoned debate, fostering more informed decision-making in society.
References
Walton, D. (2010). The fallacy of false dilemma. In The logic of question: A theory of inquiry (pp. 134-135). Cambridge University Press.