¶ … fallacies and it is important to detect fallacious arguments and then form decisions. Below is an analysis of three such fallacies which have been described and examples are described to show why it is important to detect them.
FALLACIES
Ad Ignorantiam
This fallacy is on the principle that in the case there is a lack of evidence to prove it to be true, it is considered naturally to be false. An atheist might claim that as a creationist cannot prove that God exists therefore God does not exist. Similarly a creationist can say that because the atheist cannot prove that God does not exist, hence God exists. Basically this fallacy deals with the burden of proof and in the absence of any proof it labels the opposite to be absolutely true. This fallacy is used in the judicial systems that are based on the principle of "innocent until proven guilty." Hence the burden of proof is not on the defendant but on the prosecutor to prove him to be guilty. If he fails to submit sufficient evidence then the defendant is assumed to be innocent and released. This type of fallacy compromises critical thinking because the absence of proof does not necessarily mean the opposite to be true. Disregarding every other argument because sufficient evidence was not put forward is certainly not critical thinking. It is important to detect such a fallacy and remove it from an argument that provides a conclusion based on the appeal to ignorance.
Senator Joe McCarthy used this type of fallacy to support his claim:
'I am only giving the Senate, cases in which it is clear there is a definite Communist connection ... persons whom I consider to be Communists in the State Department .... I do not have much information on this except the general statement of the agency ... that there is nothing in the files...
China Sample The China Fallacy provides an interesting perspective between American perception and that of economic reality. The book illustrates, how in many instances, a disconnect between truth and reality has the potential to create unnecessary conflicts between parties. The China Fallacy is no different in this regard. Within the book, the author Donald Gross illustrates how the notions of security, economic turmoil, and political instability are skewed within the general
Because fallacies like the ones presented above can cause such problems in all forms of research and decision making, it is useful to have some tools to analyze a given statement. Known as "analytical tools," some examples are the "Devils Advocate," a method in which one argues against the stated conclusion to determine its validity (even though one may not agree with the position), "Lateral Thinking," or Edward de Bono's
This was due to death of one of its greatest leaders, Aurangzeb early 1709. Leadership was seemingly absent as the last of the old and experienced leaders passed on and the new leaders took over. One of the new leaders, referred to as the nawab of Bengal took control of the British port and ordered for payment of increased tax from the British. This move was obviously advised by
(Eljamal; Stark; Arnold; Sharp, 1999) To conclude, it be said that if we will not be able to master imparting the capability to think in a developed form, our profession, as well as perhaps our world, would be influenced and taken over by someone who would be able to outsmart us to find it out. We would in that case not only remain thinking as to what happened but would
role in any process of enquiry that is undertaken to arrive at the truth, a sound argument or an objective opinion. In fact, good critical thinking is conceptualized as: distinguishing between verifiable facts and value statements; distinguishing relevant from irrelevant reasons; determining the factual accuracy of statements and the credibility of sources; identifying ambiguous statements and unstated assumptions; detecting bias; identifying logical fallacies; and determining the overall strength of
Prenatal genetic testing can prove useful to many expectant mothers under certain conditions. For example, those with inherited illnesses, those with children born with severe defects, those who are high risk of delivering a still born, and women over the age of 34 all present as likely candidates for prenatal genetic testing. It can help them identify what may be wrong with the fetus and what steps to take if
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