The second week of the module is coming to a close and today I’ll be going over tow fallacies, the false dilemma, and the slippery slope.
False dilemma
- Basic structure; Either A or B, not A therefore B
- The premise (either A or B) is false
Examples of a false dilemma
- Either you come to class and pass or you don’t and fail. You don’t come to class therefore you fail.
- If you don’t support Democrats then you must support Trump and you’re a racist, self-hating minority.
- Love-hate relationships
- I love candy bars but I hate how it makes me fat
- Either you love me or hate me
- Either you support prayer in school or you’re an atheist
Slippery slope
- A⟶B⟶C⟶D It starts with a small step A, then goes downwards to a total catastrophe D
- In order for an argument to be valid ALL premises must be true
Examples of a slippery slope
- If a kid steals a candy bar, then he’ll steal a toy, then grow up to steal cars, and ends up becoming a criminal for life
- Weed is a gateway drug and it’ll lead you to try crack, then meth, then heroin, and you’ll end up a drug addict.
-This argument is invalid because weed doesn’t lead to meth, crack, or heroin use. Prescription drugs and alcohol are gateway drugs
Perfectionist fallacy
- All have to be perfect or else it’ll be completely rejected
- It can waste a lot of time