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Fallacies

Two approaches for assessing arguments:
- Fallacies approach:   identify all the specific fallacies (mistakes) that an argument can make and then ask whether a given argument commits any of these fallacies. If it commits none of them, it will be a good argument, and if it commits one or more of them, it will be a bad argument.

- Criterial approach:   appeal to the criteria, or standards, that a good argument must satisfy and ask whether a given argument meets these criteria. If it meets them all, it will be a good argument, and if it fails to meet one or more of them, it will be a bad argument.

Fallacy = any error or weakness that detracts from the soundness of an argument, yet somehow manages to disguise this weakness so as to give the argument the appearance of being better than it really is.
Ex. Jane is a widow with three teenage children living in a two-bedroom basement apartment.
Therefore, her employer should promote her to supervisor.

Chp. 6

Begging the Question
= When its premises presuppose the truth of its conclusion.

Inconsistency
= when and argument contains, implicitly or explicitly, a contradiction, usually between two premises.
The two statements, neither of which is contradictory on its own, create a contradiction when they are asserted together.
Ex. Mary is older than Gord.
Gord is older than Mary.

Equivocation
= when a premise has two interpretations, one acceptable and one not acceptable, and when it is it is the unacceptable interpretation that is required by the conclusion.
Ex. Professor Jones says that no one will get an A in his course unless they attend every seminar. Well, I’ve attended every seminar so I’m expecting an A.
Ex. According to Judge Wapner’s ruling, the Country Club cannot build an indoor swimming pool inless the membership agrees. Well, I am a member, and I most certainly do not agree. Therefore, the Club cannot build its new pool.

False Dichotomy
= when the premise of an argument presents...