About Fallacies

About Fallacies

About Fallacies

An efficient logical thought process is vital to many daily processes. "Lack of training in critical thinking leaves us all the more prone to errors in logic, which are known as fallacies. Only by learning common fallacies and avoiding them in our day-to-day thought processes can we develop the critical thinking skills we need to be effective problem-solvers" (Vinoski, 1998). Fallacies are, in short, arguments that have failed the to outline three basic premises. In order to create a supported, logical argument, one must satisfy the following: assertions, inference or evidence, and conclusion. Two types of fallacies are fallacies of relevance and fallacies of insufficient evidence. Each contains a mistake in reasoning, either through irrelevance of information or lack of supporting evidence. This paper will cover the inappropriate appeal to authority, hasty generalization, and straw man fallacies.

Inappropriate appeal to authority may be more pervasive than you realize. Think of all the celebrity-endorsed commercials on television. As the Buick spokesperson, does Tiger Woods' representation of the car company make you more prone to buy a Buick? Do you trust in Tiger Woods' expert opinion on golf or cars? This is an example of a person that "is not qualified to have an expert opinion on the subject" (http://www.datanation.com). We usually see clearly through this fallacy and are not lead by these non-expert opinions. The gulf between the so-called expert and the subject is not always so gaping. Television ads often have medical professionals supporting, perhaps, an orthopedic bed. This doctor may be qualified to state an expert opinion because he is, in fact, a medical doctor. His opinion on orthopedic beds, though, may be a lone voice. Some professionals do not see eye-to-eye, and, in this case, "experts in the field [may] disagree on this issue" (http://www.datanation.com).

Applying fallacious data in an organizational setting could prove dangerous. Being able to discern the difference between expert and non-expert statements and how these statements relate to the issue allows for fact-based decision making in your professional and personal life. Avoiding this fallacy is as easy as considering the source's credibility and possible bias toward the topic. Another fallacy that easily combines with inappropriate appeal to authority is hasty generalization.

Hasty generalization is "drawing a conclusion from a sample that is biased or too small" (University of Phoenix, 2002). The biased sampling links this fallacy to inappropriate appeal to authority. It is very easy to simply leap to a conclusion and much harder to gather an adequate sample and draw a justified conclusion. Representative population sampling is key to accurate statistical information. Adequate sampling is important in many fields, to include science and journalism. In science, Louis Pasteur was criticized for his methods in laboratory trials of his vaccines. He based his successes and subsequent human inoculating on a small group of vaccinated sheep. This method did not ring true with "the generalized theories of infection and cure that he in fact formulated" (Guala, 2003). His skeptics felt his sample was too small. In journalism, an article in Computer Gaming World blasted the San Francisco Chronicle for its hasty generalization about the age demographic of computer and video game players. According to the magazine "the average subscriber to Computer Gaming World is 35 years old" (1996, p20). Not only does the Chronicle's falling prey to this fallacy skew the intent of the article, but also creates the perception of the Chronicle as an unreliable source.

Since so many major decisions in business are based on statistics, accuracy is critical. Does a marketing company poll just 10 people about a potential product before eagerly encouraging the company to mass-produce it? Simply, the answer is no. Much time and effort is needed to compile accurate referential data. When determining the reliability of statistics, consider the sample size taken in reference to topic being sampled. For example, political topics will need a very large representative sample. Ensuring adequate sample size will minimize the influence of bias.

The straw man fallacy "misrepresents your position by misstating it or exaggerating it" (Vinoski, 1998). The goal of the attacker is to restate the argument in a way that they can take the advantage. The idea is to take your focus off the subject, and then they gain the advantage. The actual topic lies untouched while the debater has been sidetracked into an irrelevant argument. This debate method is used extensively in politics. Journalist Dana Milbank points out President George W. Bush's continuous use of this technique. During the presidential campaign, John Kerry supported a plan "to halt shipments that are replenishing emergency petroleum reserves. Bush replied by saying we should not empty the reserves" (Milbank, 2004). Clearly, George Bush's reply is not addressing exactly what John Kerry said