Critical Thinking: Fallacies of weak induction Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the intention of an inductive argument?
To establish that the premises make the conclusion probable or likely.
What two requirements must an inductive argument meet to be considered good?
- Good form (structure)
- True premises
What do fallacies of weak induction fail to provide?
Necessary support for the conclusion.
List the fallacies of weak induction mentioned in the transcript.
- Appeal to Ignorance
- Slippery Slope
- Texas Sharpshooter
- Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
- Hasty Generalization
What does ‘Appeal to Ignorance’ mean?
An argument that asserts something is true because it has not been proven false.
Provide an example of ‘Appeal to Ignorance’.
Toby says, no one has proven that Bigfoot doesn’t exist. Therefore, he does.
What does the Slippery Slope fallacy involve?
A series of events leading to an undesirable outcome based on weak induction.
True or False: In a Slippery Slope argument, the conclusion is always probable if each step is probable.
False.
What is the Texas Sharpshooter fallacy?
Cherry picking evidence to support a conclusion while ignoring evidence that contradicts it.
Provide an example of the Texas Sharpshooter fallacy.
William says, lots of people clapped. The people who booed were just jealous.
What does ‘Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc’ mean?
After something, therefore because of that thing.
What is the key mistake in Post Hoc arguments?
Confusing correlation with causation.
Provide an example of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc.
Ashton believes wearing her lucky socks causes her team to win.
What is a Hasty Generalization?
Making a generalization based on insufficient evidence or a small sample size.
Provide an example of Hasty Generalization.
Adrian says, I’ve read two posts by people who said that the test is really hard, so it must be awful.
What is required for inductive arguments to be strong?
Good odds that the conclusion is likely.
Fill in the blank: The fallacies of weak induction include Appeal to Ignorance, Slippery Slope, Texas Sharpshooter, Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, and _______.
Hasty Generalization.
What should one do after learning about fallacies of weak induction?
Quiz yourself on these often to help understand, remember, and identify them.
