Questions?
Rhetorical Context
From INTD 106.
Rhetoric = strategies or art of persuasion
Aristotle’s rhetoric is an important foundation, although it tends not to be used verbatim in modern discussions of rhetoric (as in INTD 106). But there are nonetheless clear connection:
- Logos (i.e., logic, words, maybe numbers) - connects to an argument’s message and purpose, particularly to the intellectual, rational reasons for accepting that argument.
- Pathos (emotion) - connects to audience, and particularly establishing some emotional connection between author and audience, making them want to believe you.
- Ethos (credibility) - connects particularly to the author, coming across as someone who should be trusted on this subject. Note that spelling, grammar, and similar things are big contributors to this, even if they don’t have enough problems to interfere with reading, because they signal how much the author cares about their work.
Logical Fallacies
Common but logically invalid moves in writing.
Examples
Look at examples of common fallacies as captured in video...
Slippery Slope: Your opponent’s position inevitably leads to some exaggerated disaster.
Hasty Generalization: Extrapolating to a general conclusion from too few examples.
Non Sequitur: Irrelevant insertion, often used as a distraction, or in cases like the ad above to make a not-very-striking argument more memorable.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc: Arguing that something that happened before an event must have caused it. This is a kind of more general “false cause” fallacy.
Ad Hominem: Attacking a person instead of their argument.
False Analogy: Using similarities in certain aspects of two things to claim that they are identical in other aspects.
False Authority: Extending someone’s authority in one area to an unrelated area.
Popular Voice: Using the fact that something is popular to infer that it’s right.
Straw Man: Replace an opponent’s argument with a related but different one that is easier to refute.
False Cause: A broad category of fallacies that includes “post hoc ergo propter hoc,” and here, using correlation (two things happening together) to claim causation (that one of those things must cause the other).
A chance to see more examples of many of the previous fallacies.
Other Examples?
False Dichotomy: Casting an argument as only allowing two (usually extreme) positions, when in fact there are many (usually nuanced).
Key Points
Being aware of common fallacies...
- Helps you recognize them when someone tries to use them against you
- Helps you avoid them in your own arguments.
Next
Alan Turing and Breaking the Code.
Read Act 1.