Fallacies Mistaken for Good Arguments Throughout pages 72-84, the textbook focused on specific forms of bad arguments that are a result of some sort of irrelevance premises have to a conclusion. The term for these bad arguments are fallacies, and there are various different ones. They include, the Red Herring, the Easy Target, the Appeal to Fear, the Appeal to Pity, the Appeal to Popularity, the Appeal to either Novelty or Tradition, the Ad Hominem, and the Appeal to Ignorance. Firstly, a Red Herring is defined as a, “fallacy that occurs whenever someone makes a statement or offers an argument that distracts attention away from the argument under discussion,” (pp. 73). This occurs when someone disagrees with an argument, so they bring up
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Just because a majority of people believe a certain view is true does not mean it necessarily is. An example of this fallacy would include either most people or a majority percentage believing a particular view, such as that many believe drinking lots of water clears acne, therefore that view is true, such as drinking lots of water clears acne. Fifthly, the textbook discusses the fallacy of Appeal to Novelty or Tradition, which has to do with someone arguing a belief is true based on the duration people have believed it to be true. The amount of time people have held a view has nothing to do with its veracity. The textbook provided the example that for many years a majority of people thought the Earth was flat, however it turns out it is not (pp. 79). Sixthly, an Ad Hominem fallacy is when someone insults a person rather than disagreeing with the view they presented. This particular fallacy is common in politics, when rather than giving reasoning towards why a candidate’s belief is bad someone will instead attack the candidate’s personality/appearance. Furthermore, this fallacy can also occur when someone attacks someone based on a frowned upon person or group someone is connected to. When this occurs, it is called a Guilt by Association
Just because a majority of people believe a certain view is true does not mean it necessarily is. An example of this fallacy would include either most people or a majority percentage believing a particular view, such as that many believe drinking lots of water clears acne, therefore that view is true, such as drinking lots of water clears acne. Fifthly, the textbook discusses the fallacy of Appeal to Novelty or Tradition, which has to do with someone arguing a belief is true based on the duration people have believed it to be true. The amount of time people have held a view has nothing to do with its veracity. The textbook provided the example that for many years a majority of people thought the Earth was flat, however it turns out it is not (pp. 79). Sixthly, an Ad Hominem fallacy is when someone insults a person rather than disagreeing with the view they presented. This particular fallacy is common in politics, when rather than giving reasoning towards why a candidate’s belief is bad someone will instead attack the candidate’s personality/appearance. Furthermore, this fallacy can also occur when someone attacks someone based on a frowned upon person or group someone is connected to. When this occurs, it is called a Guilt by Association