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Logic: Fallacies

A brief presentation for Logic Class exploring three distinct logical fallacies; Slippery Slope, Circular Argument, and Equivocation.

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Jerimaiah James Dusong
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58 views30 pages

Logic: Fallacies

A brief presentation for Logic Class exploring three distinct logical fallacies; Slippery Slope, Circular Argument, and Equivocation.

Uploaded by

Jerimaiah James Dusong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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(LOGIC) FALLACY:

Slippery Slope. Circular Argument. Equivocation.


Prepared and Presented by: Jerimaiah James E. Dusong
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1.
SLIPPERY SLOPE
“If we allow A to happen, then Z will eventually happen too;
therefore, A should not happen.”

3
“
Assuming that one relatively
insignificant event would lead to a
series of unintended consequences
and result in a significant outcome.

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SLIPPERY SLOPE
◈ This logical fallacy occurs when someone argues that
a certain action or proposition will lead to an
undesirable outcome via a series of events without
providing adequate evidence.
Ex. “If we are to legalize the use of marijuana now, then
it would not take them much long until they legalize the
use of other drugs as well. Soon enough, the crime rate
will increase, and our society will be in grave danger.” 5
SLIPPERY SLOPE
◈ This logical fallacy occurs when someone argues that
a certain action or proposition will lead to an
undesirable outcome via a series of events without
providing adequate evidence.
Ex. “If we are to legalize the use of marijuana now, then
it would not take them much long until they legalize the
use of other drugs as well. Soon enough, the crime rate
will increase, and our society will be in grave danger.” 6
EXAMPLES:

“Today you’re late for ten “For this year’s elections,


minutes. Tomorrow, you’ll it is necessary that we vote
be late for an hour. And for Candidate A. If they
then absent for the won’t win, our people will
following weeks. You’ll suffer even more, and the
then end up quitting misery of our deplorable
someday.” nation will never end.”
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EXAMPLES:

“The Senate passed into “I just ate meat for


law the Anti-Terror Act of breakfast and broke my
2020. With it countless fast. Tomorrow I fear I
innocents will be unfairly would do the same, and on
accused of heinous crimes. the other days of fast as
Our government may even well. I might as well fail to
weaponize it to suppress observe the Lenten fast the
opposing voices.” entire season.” 8
A CHAIN OF EVENTS LEAD TO AN OUTCOME…
If Scenario A were to
take place, it would
result in Scenario Z by
way of scenarios B, C,
D, and so forth. But
since Z is deemed
undesirable, the fallacy
argues that A should not
have taken place.
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I fell down
this slope.
Later on,
someone else
will. And
then, the
entire town!

FALLING
DOWN THE
SLIPPERY
SLOPE
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2.
CIRCULAR ARGUMENT
Begging the Question.
“If A then B. If B then A.”

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“
Circular reasoning is reasoning that
is circular. The conclusion is
assumed to be true in the argument’s
premises. It is true because it is
claimed to be so.
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CIRCULAR ARGUMENT
◈ A logical fallacy in which each part of an argument
has to rely on the truthfulness of the other.
◈ Used as a way to create an argument by returning to
earlier premises and starting off with an assumption
that your claim is already true.
◈ The proposition is supported by its premises, which
in turn are supported by the proposition. This creates
a circular reasoning without useful information.
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EXAMPLES:

“You can’t give me a “I have dogs at home


failing grade because I am because they are my pets.”
an honor student”
“No one buys from this
“This shampoo is the best store because no one likes
because it is my favorite.” this store.”

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BEGGING THE QUESTION

An attempt to prove a
statement by simply
rewording it, repeating it
in different words.
Begging the question does
not address the original
question at all.
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3.
EQUIVOCATION
“A and B are similar terms with different meanings, but are
used in a sense that is confusing”

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“
Mistakenly equating two different
meanings of one word. Using an
ambiguous term in more than one
sense, thus making it misleading.

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EQUIVOCATION
◈ Depends on the double meaning of a word.
◈ Alternating between the different meanings of a
word in the argument’s premises.
◈ This fallacy occurs when a key term or phrase in an
argument is used in an ambiguous way, with one
meaning in one portion of the argument and then
another meaning in another portion of the argument.
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EXAMPLES:

“All trees have barks. “Noisy children are a


Every dog barks. headache. Two aspirin
Therefore, every dog is a will make a headache go
tree.” away. Therefore, two
aspirin will make noisy
children go away. ”
Relies on double meaning.

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EXAMPLES:

“If silent movies are black “The sign said, ‘Fine for
and white, and pandas are Parking Here’, so since it
also black and white, then was fine, I parked here.”
pandas must be silent
movies!”

They think they’re being


clever, but they’re not.
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EXAMPLES:

“I don’t see how you can “Sure, philosophy helps


call yourself an ethical you argue better, but do
person when it’s so hard we really need to
to get you to do anything. encourage people to
Your work ethics is just argue? There’s enough
terrible.” hostility in the world.”

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THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING!

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