types of flaws Flashcards
(25 cards)
what is a flaw
type of faulty reasoning
what is a flawed argument
the premises may appear to provide support for the conclusion but actually provides little/no real support
what types of questions are flaws usually present in
ID flaw and match flaw
knowledge about flaws can help answer what kinds of questions
weaken; strengthen; necessary assumption
when an argument extends limited info and tries to apply it more widely than reasonable or justifiable
sampling flaw
what should you look for to detect a sampling flaw
polls/surveys/studies
data/statistics that come from a limited source (ex: one meteorologist)
shift from specfifc evidence to a general conclusion
shift from evidence to conlusion during which the arguer assumes - but doesn’t demonstrate - that one is acceptable representative of the other
what you need to make sure the sample addresses to confirm that a sample is representative
relevant things/people
appropriate # of things/people
unbiased sample of things/people
ex: Everyone I know wants to quit their job, so this country is headed for an employment crisis.
sampling flaw
you can most easily observe an ad hominem when
an arguer criticizes someone’s actions/character/motives as a reason to not heed their argument
ex: My doctor tells me it’s bad for your lungs to smoke cigarettes, but I know he’s lying. I saw him furtively smoking a cigarette the other day.
ad hominem flaw
the arguer compares two things/situations, but the two things/situations being compared aren’t sufficiently alike
faulty analogy
the arguer takes 2 things that happen at the same time and concludes that one of those things caused the other
causation/correlation
correlation: the arguer takes 2 things that happen at the same time
causation: concludes that one of those things caused the other
ex: Last summer, ice cream sales decreased while homicide rates more than doubled in this region. We should look into selling more ice cream in order to keep people safer.
causation/correlation flaw
the arguer treats quantities and percents of something as if they’re interchangeable, but percents by themselves don’t tell you anything about the actual numbers
quantity versus percent
ex: 10% of the people with Disease X died last year, whereas 50% of the people with Disease Y died last year. Clearly, Disease Y is hurting our population growth more than Disease X is. (But what if 1,000,000 people had Disease X and only 4 people had Disease Y?)
quantity versus percent
the arguer takes a lack of evidence for a conclusion as if that conclusion is definitely wrong
lack of evidence as proof flaw
ex: Alien life has never been discovered, so it’s clear that alien life doesn’t exist
lack of evidence as proof
the arguer acts like there are only 2 choices, when in fact it isn’t an “either/or” situation
false dichotomy flaw
ex: If you’re not with us, then you’re against us. The arguer is overlooking the possibility that someone could remain neutral
false dichotomy
the speaker assumes that becausse something is possible, then it’ll happen
possible versus certain flaw
ex: Last year we didn’t have enough budget money for employee raises, but this year there’s plenty of money in the budget. So, it’s clear that the company will give out raises this year
possible versus certain
the arguer assumes that their conclusion is already true when attempting to prove that same conclusion
circular reasoning flaw
Duplicity is an unattractive characteristic, since it’s repulsive to lie and deceive
circular reasoning
the arguer uses a potentially ambiguous term in more than 1 sense and consequently misleads the reader
equivocation flaw
