Beware The Logical Fallacy

I recently shared this post on my Facebook page (i.e., stole it from a good friend).  It got some good reaction.  A long-time faithful reader and friend shared it again (i.e. stole it from me) and likewise received many good comments on his re-post.  This friend, who is a retired educator, said that much of the bullshit we encounter these days in the media and elsewhere are examples of Logical Fallacies, and he suggested we familiarize ourselves with the concept.  He's right, and he's right.

You could and should do your own research, but I'll give you the short course and a few examples.  A logical fallacy is a tactic of language and philosophy used by the unscrupulous to intentionally confuse, mislead, deceive, and obscure the truth from others.  Some examples:

The Might-Makes-Right Fallacy.  This is the use of, or threat of, an unpleasant consequence to force an unrelated outcome. "If you don't cut taxes/repeal Obamacare, we'll shut down the government."  Is a tax cut or repeal of a law actually beneficial?  That's the issue.  I may not be convinced, but I might bow to the intimidation to avoid a shutdown unrelated to the issue.

Patriotic/Religious Populism Fallacy.  "My country/my religion is always correct, true and the best.  If you ever disagree, you are an unpatriotic traitor/godless heathen."  Obviously illogical.  Who says it's always correct?  As the saying goes, patriotism/religion is the last bastion of a scoundrel.

The Fallacy of Circular Reasoning.  An argument based on unproven evidence, with each step relying on the previous one, which in turn relies on the first unproven assumption.  Supporting a premise with that same premise rather than a valid conclusion.  "God exists."  Why?  "Because the Bible says so."  Why should I believe the Bible?  "Because the Bible is the word of God."  (God exists because God exists.)

Red Herring Fallacy.  Or, let's change the topic because you've made a compelling argument which cannot be refuted.  "You say George W. Bush lied when he took us to war in Iraq.  But what's really important is supporting our troops.  Are you saying our troops don't deserve our support?"  Well, no, but what about the lie?

The Slippery Slope Fallacy.  The presumption that once the first step is taken, all possible subsequent steps will inevitably follow.  Not only does A lead to B, but B quickly leads to Z.  The Domino Theory -- "If the Commies take Viet Nam, all of southeast Asia will soon follow."  Fear of Global Jihad -- "If we don't stop terrorists in the Middle East, they'll soon invade the U.S.A."

And many more examples too numerous to list here.  You could Google it.

Now, none of us are perfect.  We've all made use of logical fallacies.  I've been occasionally guilty of it here in these very pages.  But Buster is an abject piker compared to the truly professional fallacy flingers like the U.S. military, the GOP, Bible thumpers, the NRA, and Fox News.

Beware the Logical Fallacy!