“Fallacies” are bad arguments used in a debate or discussion. They may seem true, but are misleading upon closer inspection
Introduction to Fallacies
“Fallacy” is the term used to describe bad arguments employed in a debate or discussion. They are arguments that may seem true, but really don’t make sense upon closer inspection.
The study of fallacies goes back a long way. Aristotle categorized 13 fallacies in a writing called “Sophistical Refutations”. Today there are nearly 100 categorized fallacies.
Being able to identify fallacies can improve your arguments and thinking, allowing you to avoid being misled or manipulated by bad arguments.
Stages of an Argument
In order to catch bad arguments (fallacies), you should understand the three stages of an argument:
1. Premise
Arguments begin with introductory statements. It is the initial evidence to support an argument. This is called the “premise”. The premise usually contains two or more statements.2. Inference
All the introductory evidence of the premise should hint, imply, or lead to a certain conclusion. The process of getting a conclusion from the premise is called “inference”.3. Conclusion
The premise and inference together should ultimately support or prove the argument. This is appropriately called the “conclusion”.
Fallacies are simply the misuse of one of the above parts of an argument; they have a false or misleading premise, inference, or conclusion.
