Term
| Biased Statistics (fallacy) |
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Definition
committed when the sample used in an inductive generalization lacks the required variety and is thus, not representative.
the sample lacks proper variety.
[i.e. asking only Southern baptists what the best religion is] |
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Term
| Circular Reasoning (fallacy) |
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Definition
Assumes as a premise just what one tries to prove in the conclusion.
ex. "All intentional acts of killing human beings are morally wrong. The death penalty is an intentional act of killing a human being. Therefore, the death penalty is morally wrong." |
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Term
| Hasty Generalization (fallacy) |
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Definition
Committed when a sample size of an inductive generalization is not big enough.
ex. "The article was about 3 local teens who were arrested for drug possession. Teenagers these days are nothing but a bunch of junkies."
- only 3 people used as evidence of this. |
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Term
| Misleading Vividness (fallacy) |
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Definition
Committed when an inductive generalization that is strongly supported by premises citing sufficient and unbiased statistics is rejected. Allowing 1 case to outweigh the contrary.
- Smoking will kill you says studies & everyone else, but Uncle Bob has smoked for 40 years and he is in great health, so smoking is o.k. |
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Term
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Definition
Tumbling dominoes.
Each triggers the next.
The last one is seen as trouble, and if the likelihood of trouble is exaggerated, then a fallacy is committed.
-gay marriage, politics. if gay people can get married, then soon toasters can. Toe --> thigh. |
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Term
| Appeal to Force (fallacy) |
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Definition
A threat of force is inappropriately presented as evidence for a conclusion; substitutes a threat of force for evidence.
ex. Accept Jesus into your soul. if you don't, you will lose your immortal soul. |
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Term
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Definition
Pity for the circumstances of a person is inappropriately presented as evidence for a conclusion; plays on emotions.
ex. I know my paper is late, but my girlfriend dumped me. Please accept my paper. |
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Term
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Definition
Use of an ambiguous expression in more than one of its senses in multiple premises or in a premise and the conclusion.
ex. Philosophy is an art. So it must be studied by art historians, because they study art.
[Art --> 2 different meanings.] |
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Term
| Black & White Thinking (fallacy) |
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Definition
Base a conclusion on a limited set of alternatives (e.g. between loving and hating) when a wider range of possibilities is available.
ex. Either you're part of the solution or part of the problem. |
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Term
| Incomplete Evidence (fallacy) |
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Definition
When all available, relevant evidence that would affect the truth of the conclusion is not taken into account.
ex. Most Russians do not speak English, so the newly appointed Russian Ambassador to the UN probably does not.
[if he's in the UN then he probably does.] |
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Term
| Fallacy From Authority (fallacy) |
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Definition
Involves premise with inappropriate appeal to authority; concludes some claim is true b/c some authority figure says it is.
ex. John F. Kennedy said that UFO's don't exist; therefore, UFO's don't exist. |
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Term
| Ad Hominem Circumstantial (fallacy) |
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Definition
| Inappropriate attack of the person's circumstances. |
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Term
| Ad Hominem Abusive (fallacy) |
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Definition
| Inappropriate attack on the character of the person. |
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Term
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Definition
Inappropriate attack of the person for being associated with the position criticized in the argument, for being inconsistent.
ex. Joe says that stealing is wrong, but he himself steals! |
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Term
| Fallacious Arguments from Consensus (Ad populem) |
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Definition
Some assertion inappropriately held to be correct or incorrect on the grounds that most people believe or reject the assertion.
ex. 9 out of 10 people eat meat, therefore eating meat is not morally wrong. |
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Term
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Definition
| "light suit": either (i) the suit is not very heavy, or (ii) the suit is not dark in color. |
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Term
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Definition
| "porcelain egg container": (i) container holds porcelain eggs, or (ii) container for eggs is made out of porcelain. |
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Term
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Definition
| IFF it is NOT possible that all premises are true & the conclusion is false. |
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Term
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Definition
| IFF argument is valid & all premises are true. |
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Term
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Definition
NOT intended to guarantee a conclusion.
- one can believe premises but not the conclusion. The truth of the premises provides reasons supporting a probable truth. |
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Term
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Definition
Intended to guarantee their conclusions.
If one believes premises, then one believes the conclusion.
The truth of premises provides a guarantee. |
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Term
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Definition
Talking about the word.
ex. Alcoholism has ten letters. |
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Term
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Definition
Referring to something/word.
ex. Alcoholism is a serious problem within the US. |
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Term
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Definition
A link between words & objects.
i.e. when your mom pointed to your foot to display to you what the word "foot" means.
- has limited power --> person may get different meaning, or an object may not be available. |
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Term
| Explicit Intensional Definition |
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Definition
A phrase equivalent in meaning to the term is stated.
i.e. "prizefighter" means "a professional boxer". |
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Term
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Definition
Definition that shows how a word is commonly used.
Should never be too narrow or too broad. The definition should state the set of properties possessed by all things to which the term applies, & only those things. |
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Term
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Definition
The general premiss is a statistical generalization rather than a universal generalization.
ex. "Ninety percent of freshman...."
Although not always stated numerically.
ex. "Hardly any freshmen...." |
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Term
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Definition
incorporates the term being defined,or some variant of the term,in the definition.
ex. "full time student": a person who is enrolled full time in school. |
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Term
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Definition
| definitions that introduce new words. |
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Term
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Definition
| These clarify the meaning of a vague term. |
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Term
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Definition
| reduces vagueness, and connect the term being defined with other terms in the theory. |
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Term
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Definition
| Definitions designed to transfer emotive force, such as feelings of approval or disapproval. Should state the properties that a thing must possess for the term to apply. |
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