As You Practice - Week #07

This week we're fine-tuning our ability to recognize Fallacies of Relevance.  With that in mind, I recommend you remember the importance of reviewing.  Here are the basics: 

 

BASICS

  1.  Re-read the required reading. Identify confusing concepts and ask questions about them.  
  2.  Review these "As You Practice" notes. Identify confusing concepts and ask questions about them. 
  3.  If helpful, review last week's Practice examples, including Flashcard examples, Tutorial examples, Handout examples, and Practice Quizzes. Identify confusing examples, ask questions about them
  4.  Complete this week's Practice Examples.  Identify confusing examples and ask questions about them
  5.  Repeat as helpful 
  6.  Complete the week's required online quiz.  Identify confusing quiz examples and ask questions about them 

 

INTRODUCTION

During this week, you are fine-tuning your ability to evaluate arguments.  Before reading the following helpful hints, you should read Chapter Five from our textbook.  As you practice this week, you'll be focusing on the following question:

  1.  What Fallacy of Relevance does this passage commit? 

 

FALLACIES

A fallacy is a mistake in reasoning.  As such, to call an argument fallacious is not to disagree with its conclusion.  Rather, it is to recognize a flawed reason.  It is to note that a premise fails to address the issue at hand. 

There are different types of fallacies.  There are different ways that a premise can fail to address its issue.  A fallacy of relevance is a premise that fails to address its issue because it's off-topic or irrelevant.  

There are many different fallacies of relevance.  During our semester, we will be learning about ten of them:

 

FALLACIES OF RELEVANCE

When you are asked if an argument commits a fallacy of relevance, be ready to recognize the following:

  1.  Personal Attack 
  2.  Poisoning the Well 
  3.  Guilt by Association 
  4.  Attacking the Motive 
  5.  Look Who's Talking 
  6.  Two Wrongs Make a Right 
  7.  Appeal to Tradition 
  8.  Bandwagon Argument 
  9.  Appeal to Novelty 
  10.  Straw Man Misrepresentation