Intellectual Kung-FuIntroductionAll of us have heard, read, and even used logical fallacies in arguing our viewpoints. Actually, some of the best politicians and philosophers have developed the skills to recognize and use logical fallacies to their advantage. Therefore, it is important as students and citizens that we study and become familiar with these tactics so we can think logically, form opinions, and properly make decisions.Dr. Labossiere (1995) describes a fallacy as an error in reasoning. This does not necessarily mean the facts are wrong, but the premises do not support the conclusion and eventually leads to an erroneous argument. Fallacies are statements that might sound sensi ...view middle of the document...
This line of analysis is fallacious because the attack is directed at the person making the claim and not the claim itself. True debate occurs when the claim is independent of the person making the claim.Examples of Attacking the Person- Joe claims that Sally would make a good manager- However I find Joe's alcohol addiction intolerable- Therefore, I am not going to consider Sally for the promotionIn the above example, I am using and attacking Joe's behavior for my decision concerning Sally's promotion. Joe's addiction should have no bearing on Sally's career.- Joe claims that the Congressman's economic plan is unrealistic- I respect Joe because he is a CPA- Therefore, I am not going to vote for the economic proposalIn this example, I am incorrectly using Joe's credentials to determine my opinion on the economic plan. This common type of fallacy is praising people who make an argument. Although I may use Joe's opinion, the economic plan should stand-alone and not depend on Joe's education.It must be noted that not all Ad hominems are false. In some cases, an individual's character can bring validity to the claim. If it is proven the person bringing the claim is a pathological liar, then what he or she says can be considered unreliable. But remember, even pathological liars speak the truth sometimes. Therefore, it is important to focus the attention on the claim on not on who made the claim.Two Wrongs Make a RightTwo wrongs make a right is a logical fallacy when it is assumed that if one wrong is committed, another wrong is acceptable or will cancel it out. Dr. Michael C. Labossiere (1995) defines the fallacy in which a person "justifies" an action against a person by asserting that the person would do the s...
