Recognizing Logical Fallacies

1. At the end of this tutorial you will understand the three different types of fallacies: avoiding the issue, omitting key points, and ignoring other alternatives. To be able to identify these in a debate, and call the other team on it will only strengthen your side! Recognizing Logical Fallacies

2. What is a logical fallacy? • A logical fallacy occurs when a person uses incorrect reasoning; he or she says something that doesn’t answer what you said. • There are three main ways a person can evade or ignore an argument: • Type 1: avoid the issue • Type 2: omit key points • Type 3: ignore other alternatives

3. Type 1: Avoid the Issue • When someone calls you “stupid” instead of responding to your argument they have avoided the issue or topic • This is called “name-calling” if the other team does this, call them on it! Point it out! • This has only happened once in a debate in my class, and the person that did it was “joking” BUT they definitely didn’t win! • This does not look good for your team, so don’t do it!

4. Type 1: Avoid the Issue • Another way to avoid the issue is to use “circular reasoning.” • This is when someone says the same thing over and over again just maybe using slightly different words. • Example: “Ipods in school should be prohibited because ipods are not allowed in schools.”

5. Type 1: Avoid the Issue • The last way you can avoid the issue is to give reasons that don’t actually support the main idea being supported. This is called “evading the issue” • Example: Our gym needs to be redone. Our cafeteria isn’t bad. • Notice how you aren’t actually saying why the gym needs to be redone, you are just moving to a different topic.

6. Type 2: Omit Key Points • When you make an oversimplification, you can leave out some other big key points. • Example: Video games are the cause of obese kids. • Notice how other things that can be the cause of weight gain have been left out. • An overgeneralization is easy to spot when someone says something like “always, totally, completely, or never.” • Example: My dad never gives me money when I ask to go to the mall with my friends!

7. Type 3: Ignore Other Alternatives • When people don’t present all the options and just give you an either/or choice, or just two choices, leaving out all other possible choices that might solve the problem. • Example: “You either exercise now, or you won’t exercise ever.” • Using a slippery slope argument suggests that one thing WILL lead to something else, when in reality it might not. • Example: If the teacher let’s one kid go to the bathroom, she’ll have to let everyone go whenever they want. • Notice one kid going to the bathroom doesn’t automatically mean that all kids will get to leave whenever.

8. Type 3: Ignore Other Alternatives • People can also ignore the real cause of something. Giving a false cause is where you say something causes something when it really doesn’t. • Example: The ipad fell to the floor because the phone rang. • The phone didn’t really cause the ipad to fall, putting it in a position to cause it to fall did. • Offering a false analogy is when you compare two things that doesn’t make sense, or shouldn’t be compared together. • My husband is super tall, he’s like a cow he eats a lot. • What? What does one have to do with the other?

9. Type 3: Ignore Other Alternatives • When a team uses an “expert” to prove their point but the expert isn’t a REAL expert in the topic being discussed they are using a false authority. • “Childhood obesity is killing our population,” said Dudley Dumbhead, Ph. D. in Education. • While this person might have a Ph. D. and might work with children a true expert in this field would be a pediatrician perhaps. Paraphrased from “If they Can Argue Well, They Can Write Well” by Dr.Bill McBride

10. Why would you need to know this? • Being able to call out the other team and say something like: • “Stop using circular reasoning, you need to stop avoiding the issue. Our team is right, bio-fuel is the wave of the future, otherwise you would have better arguments.” is really going to show the team that is the most prepared.

11. You are finished! • Please turn in the digital portion of your WSQ and I will check your notes in class tomorrow!