"Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic."
— Thomas Huxley
Recently, I was gifted a nifty deck of Critical Thinking cards, each one highlighting a different logical fallacy. As someone who values rational thought and sound reasoning, I couldn't help but think about how beneficial these cards could be for a few people I know—especially folks in Oklahoma. Oh, who am I kidding? They probably wouldn't understand them. What logical fallacy did I just deploy? Fallacies can be used to mislead and manipulate public opinion. By recognizing these fallacies, we can better evaluate the validity of political arguments and make more informed decisions. Both Biden and Trump use logical fallacies in speeches: Straw Man, Appeal to Emotion, False Dichotomy, Ad Hominem, False Equivalence, and many more. It should be embarrassing, but most people never pick up on them.
Here are some examples:
"When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
"Sleepy Joe Biden doesn’t have the energy or the mental acuity to lead this country. He doesn’t even know where he is half the time."
"The Democrats want to take away your guns and destroy the Second Amendment."
"Donald Trump is the worst president we’ve ever had. He’s a clown."
"If we do not address climate change now, our children and grandchildren will face a planet that is uninhabitable."
"Republicans are trying to make it harder for you to vote because they know they can't win otherwise."
"Mail-in voting is a disaster. It leads to massive fraud and abuse."
"I know what it's like to lose family. I lost my first wife and daughter in a car accident, and my son to cancer. We can't let people like Trump, who don't understand real loss, lead this country."
"If we don't get our way, we're going to have to take drastic action. It's going to be the end of America as we know it."
"Every single time Republicans talk about healthcare reform, they want to cut Social Security and Medicare."
In terms of logic and/or reasoning, all of these statements are fallacious. But there's a gem of a fallacy called The Fallacy Fallacy. Also known as the Argument from Fallacy, it occurs when someone assumes that if an argument contains a logical fallacy, then the conclusion of that argument must be false. This is a mistake because even if the reasoning used to support a conclusion is flawed, the conclusion itself might still be true.
Here's a fantastic critical thinking statement:
"What can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence."
― Christopher Hitchens
The principle behind his statement is that if someone makes a claim without providing any supporting evidence, others are not obligated to take that claim seriously or provide evidence to refute it. It underscores the idea that the burden of proof lies with the person making the assertion. Without evidence, a claim lacks the necessary support to be considered credible or worthy of serious consideration.
Perhaps I'll start posting a Friday logical fallacy feature, diagraming one used recently by a politician, reporter, celebrity or other public figure.
All images © 2024 Mike McDowell