Monday, November 21, 2011

Logical Fallacies

Greetings! Please post your arguments -- including your fallacy here. Many thanks.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp_l5ntikaU

2 comments:

  1. my argument with fallacy:


    Currency is the world’s most amazing creation. With the invention of such a tool, people are able to trade, buy, and sell goods to keep up one’s finances. Money can buy nearly anything. Whatever one may desire, money can most likely purchase it. Money is also used as a measurement of worth or value. The more money there is, the more that thing is worth. When you think about it like that, Bill Gates must be worth a lot! Some people may say that money can’t buy happiness, but they’re wrong. Since all objects can be bought, and all objects are nouns, then all nouns may be bought as well. Since happiness is a noun, happiness can be bought! A world without money is a world without control. With no money, the world’s governments would plummet into anarchy. With all these positive contributions that money has made to the world, one can surely state that nothing is better than money.
    Still, one can always agree that a peanut butter jelly sandwich is better than nothing. Consider this; you’re in town walking to your favorite spot for a nice lunch when all of a sudden, you realize that you forgot to bring your wallet! Fortunately, the sun smiles upon you because you just so happened to remember that you brought a peanut butter jelly sandwich for lunch. It’s time like these that show how much a peanut butter jelly sandwich can help.
    Since it is proven that nothing is better than money, and that a peanut butter jelly sandwich is better than nothing, a peanut butter jelly sandwich is proven to be better than money. Since we all know that nothing is better than money, the next time you’re outside and wanting to buy some random item with money, think first of the thing that’s better than nothing. Think first of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that is with no doubt, better than money.

    I used equivocation and red herring.

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  2. Nine year old daughter arguing with her mother about fries, fried food and how it is healthy for you

    Daughter walks in and sits down at table while thinking deeply and watches her mother
    Mom is preparing dinner
    Daughter: Mom? Why do you say that fries are unhealthy?
    Mom: because they’re fried
    Daughter interjects
    Daughter: but fries are healthy!
    Mom: everything is unhealthy once it is fried
    Daughter looks confused, tilts her head
    Daughter: but…
    Mother: French fries are unhealthy
    Daughter: but, but mom! You always say that potatoes are good for you!
    Mom stops what she is doing and looks at her daughter cautiously, knowing her words are about to be twisted against her
    Mom: yes…
    Daughter slowly says what she thinks with a small frown on her face
    Daughter: and if potatoes are good for you, since they are such a good source of starch and French fries are potatoes…
    Mom interrupts
    Mom: French fries are potatoes fried in oil and fat
    Daughter bursts out
    Daughter: yes, but fries are still potatoes!
    Mom patiently explains
    Mom: by the time the potatoes are done being fried they are no longer potatoes, but sticks of mushy fat
    Daughter stubbornly refuses to give up and sits up straight
    Daughter: still…fries are potatoes! and if you left the skin on them and all the vitamins inside the skin, then fries are healthy for you!
    Mom goes back to making dinner
    Mom: and how did you reach that conclusion?
    Daughter triumphantly sums up her logic
    Daughter: because potatoes are healthy for you and fries are made of potatoes so that means that fries are healthy for you!
    Mom: doctors and nutritionists all say that fried food is unhealthy for you and bad for you body and they know best
    Daughter says with distaste
    Daughter: I don’t trust doctors or people who heal other people
    Mom curious and glances over her shoulder
    Mom: and why not?
    Daughter says with passion
    Daughter: because Rasputin was suppose to be some sort of healer but he only made things worse! And now Anastasia and her brother are dead!
    Mom slowly states
    Mom: yes but…
    Daughter continues
    Daughter: and so if Rasputin was a healer and he did bad things then I don’t believe doctors of people who claim to heal other people!
    Mom finishes pealing and begins chopping
    Mom: doctors say that eating a lot of fried food causes people to have heart attacks
    Daughter announces
    Daughter: If I were a doctor I would make sure people understood that eating fried food does not lead to heart attacks but the opposite!
    Mom confused
    Mom: the opposite?
    Daughter: yeah! Because I don’t trust doctors so I think the opposite of whatever they say!
    Mom: uhhh…
    Daughter: so I’ll eat lots of fried food and never get a heart attack!
    Mom even more confused at this point and glances at her daughter
    Mom: because?
    Daughter is in her element and fairly glowing with pride
    Daughter: Fried food is healthy for you! Chicken is healthy for people, fried chicken is chicken, so therefore fried chicken is healthy!
    Mom: I believe your logic is a tiny bit flawed
    Daughter indignantly disagrees
    Daughter: no its not! My logic makes perfect sense and can be applied to all fried food which makes all fried food healthy!
    Mom exhales loudly, and seems to be at her wits end
    Mom: how about we continue this later once your father is home
    Daughter happily agrees
    Daughter: ok! I want to show him how I solved why fried food is healthy!
    Mom continues chopping and says with amusement evident in her voice
    Mom: I’m sure he’ll be very impressed
    Daughter stands up and moves as if to walk out the door
    Daughter: can I go out and play?
    Mom quickly affirms eager to have peace and quiet
    Mom: yes, yes, run along
    Daughter runs outside and mom begins to relax

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