Trịnh Thị Thu Loan

Entry 4 – Trịnh Thị Thu Loan

Item 1. Structrure fallacy

Source: http://mesosyn.com/mental5.html

Structure :

Premises	1.    All cats have four legs 2.    I have four legs	1.    All S are P 2.    A is P
Conclusion	I am a cat	A is S

S

S

P

        

The above argument is an invalid one because in some situation, A is P but not S, it is impossible to give to the conclusion that A is S.

This is an example of structure fallacy. In the first premise, it said that all cats have four legs, which is a true claim, but it is not true that anyanimals having four legs are cats. In fact, the author of the argument is a dog, so it is impossible to be a cat although it has four legs.

Item 2: Slippery slope

“If we pass laws against fully-automatic weapons, then it won't be long before we pass laws on all weapons, and then we will begin to restrict other rights, and finally we will end up living in a communist state. Thus, we should not ban fully-automatic weapons.”

Source: http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/ss.htm

Structure:If we pass laws against fully-automatic weapons

Then we have to pass laws on all weapons

Then we will restrict other rights

Finally, we end up living in a communist state

Analysis: This is an example of slippery slope - argument which is one kind of fallacies of presumption.

          It is impossible to conclude that “finally we will end up living in a communist state” just because of banning fully-automatic weapons. People could pass against fully-automatic weapons without passing all weapons. Therefore, people could have not to restrict other rights, so that people impossibly end up living in a communist state. These situations could not happen if people ban the fully-automatic weapons.

Item 3: Hasty generalization

“Fred, the Australian, stole my wallet. Thus, all Australians are thieves.”

Source: http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/hasty.htm

Structure:

Premises	1.     Fred is an Australian 2.     Fred stole my wallet 3.     All Australian are the same
Conclusion	All Australians are thieves

Analysis:This is an example of hasty generalization argument which is one kind of fallacies of presumption.

          Fred is one in millions of Australians. Fred stole the wallet but it did not mean that all other Australians did do something like that. Therefore, it is impossible to give the conclusion that all Australians are thieves. That is a hasty generalization-argument.