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Fallacy

The document discusses different types of fallacies of ambiguity. It begins by defining a fallacy of ambiguity as occurring when an argument relies on an ambiguous premise or conclusion that shifts meaning. It then explains three specific types: 1) Fallacy of Equivocation - When a word or phrase is used with more than one meaning between the premise and conclusion. 2) Fallacy of Accent - When the meaning changes due to placing emphasis on different parts of a statement. 3) Fallacy of Amphiboly - When a statement's meaning is unclear due to poor grammar or sentence structure. Examples are provided for each fallacy to illustrate how ambiguity in language can undermine logical arguments.

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Jayrald Delos Santos
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201 views12 pages

Fallacy

The document discusses different types of fallacies of ambiguity. It begins by defining a fallacy of ambiguity as occurring when an argument relies on an ambiguous premise or conclusion that shifts meaning. It then explains three specific types: 1) Fallacy of Equivocation - When a word or phrase is used with more than one meaning between the premise and conclusion. 2) Fallacy of Accent - When the meaning changes due to placing emphasis on different parts of a statement. 3) Fallacy of Amphiboly - When a statement's meaning is unclear due to poor grammar or sentence structure. Examples are provided for each fallacy to illustrate how ambiguity in language can undermine logical arguments.

Uploaded by

Jayrald Delos Santos
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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FALLACY OF AMBIGUITY

FALLACY OF AMBIGUITY GROUP 3


JAYRALD D. DELOS SANTOS
FALLACY OF EQUIVOCAL RAPHAEL DELINA
FALLACY OF ACCENT RAVEN SINGSON
FALLACY OF AMPHIBOLY ALLAN BRYAN CERTEZA
WHAT IS FALLACY OF
AMBIGUITY?
-are several patterns of incorrect reasoning that arise from
the imprecise use of language. An ambiguous word,
phrase, or sentence is one that has two or more distinct
meanings. The fallacies of ambiguity all involve a
confusion of two or more different senses.

Ambiguous - having or expressing more than


one possible meaning, sometimes intentionally
Fallacy of Ambiguity
 Arise from the occurrence of some form of ambiguity in either
the premises or the conclusion ( or both ). When the
conclusion of an argument depends on a shift in meaning of
an ambiguous statement, the argument commits fallacy of
ambiguity.
 Examples of Ambiguity:
 Foreigners are hunting dogs - It is unclear whether dogs were being
hunted, or foreigners are being spoken of as dogs.
 Each of us saw her duck – It is not clear whether the word “duck”
refers to an action of ducking, or a duck that is a bird.
 The passerby helped dog bite victim – Is the passerby helping a
dog bite someone? Or is he helping a person who has been bitten
by a dog? It’s not clear.
 Logical Form:
 X= Premise , Y= Conclusion
 Claim X is made.
 Y is concluded based on an ambiguous understanding of X.
 Example #1:
 It is said that we have a good understanding of our universe. Therefore,
we know exactly how it began and exactly when.

 Example #2:
 That girl is an alien. Therefore, she’s from planet Mars.

 Example#3:
 All living beings come from other living beings.
Therefore, the first forms of life must have come from a living being.
That living being is God.
1. FALLACY OF EQUIVOCATION
2. FALLACY OF ACCENT

Different 3. FALLACY OF AMPHIBOLY

Types of
Fallacies of
Ambiguity
Fallacy of Equivocation
 Thisfallacy occurs because of the fact that a
given word or phrase may have more than one
meaning; thereby producing a different
conclusion than what is really intended.

 Example:

 All bitches have tails.


 Julia Barretto is a bitch.
 Therefore Julia has a tail.
Examples:
 #1
 Since only man [human] is rational,
 and no woman is a man [male],
 Therefore, no woman is rational.
 #2
 A feather is light [not heavy].
 What is light [bright] cannot be dark.
 Therefore, a feather cannot be dark.
 #3
 All jackasses [male donkey] have long ears.
 Gerald Anderson is a jackass. [stupid person]
 Therefore, Gerald has long ears.
Fallacy of Accent
 This fallacy occurs when a false conclusion is
drawn from premises at least one of which has
been rendered misleading or false by a
misplaced accent. An argument may become
deceptive when the shift of meaning within it
arises from the change in the emphasis given to
its word or parts.
 Consist in the ambiguous use of a word that has
different meanings when it is accented
differently also known as emphasis fallacy
Example:
Who took the test?

I didn't take the test yesterday. (Somebody else did.)

I didn't take the test yesterday. (I did not take it.)

I didn't take the test yesterday. (I did something else with it.)

I didn't take the test yesterday. (I took a different one.)

I didn't take the test yesterday. (I took something else.)

I didn't take the test yesterday. (I took it some other day.)


Fallacies of Amphiboly
 Just as the meaning of sentence is determined in part by
where one places the accent, so also is it determined in part
by where one places the accent or by the grammatical
structure. When the meaning of the argument is
indeterminate because of the loose or awkward way by
which its words are combined. It is called the fallacy of
amphiboly.
 An amphibologous statements are argument that may be
true in one interpretation but false in another. The error is
brought about by the lack of verbal clarity because of a
grammatical error.
Example:
 “We took some pictures of the native girls, but they weren't developed. But
we're going back again in a couple of weeks.”
 Are the one’s weren’t developed the native girls? Or the pictures?

 "Last night I caught a thieving cat in my pajamas."


 Did the speaker (1) find a cat who was wearing their pajamas, (2) find a cat
while the speaker was wearing their pajamas, or (3) ensnare the cat using their
pajamas as a net?

 "Don't let worry kill you off — let the Church help.”
 Does the Church help reduce worry, or kill people, or both?
END!!!!!!!!!!!!
TO THE NEXT REPORTER ---
YEEHAW!!!!!

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