The Fallacy Detective News

A Fallacy Detective Board Game

2009-07-09T17:35:15-06:00

Lydia in Ontario is having fun with a Fallacy Detective board game she invented called "Portals." For 2-4 players, ages 12 and up. Purpose: The purpose of Portals is to teach the basics of logic in a simple and fun environment. Contents: Game board, playing pieces, dice, and cards. Object: The object of Portals is to get to the destination star before anyone else does. The player to reach the destination star first is the winner. The idea is to stay on the logic track because the logic track has fewer spaces. A player who stays on the logic track can get to the destination star before his opponents. The player to reach the destination star first is the winner. On your Turn: On each player’s turn he or she rolls the dice and moves that many spaces ahead, and this shows the player what color he has landed on. The color corresponds with the four fallacy corners of the board. The four fallacies are Assumptions, Avoiding the Question, Propaganda, and Statistical Fallacies. The player takes a card of that color from the corresponding pile. Example Card: Whole-to-Part. Is this a weak analogy? "A cloud is 90% water. A watermelon is 90% water. Therefore, since a plane can fly through a cloud, a plane can fly through a watermelon." Answer: Yes The player answering the question will receive a definition to go with that fallacy to assist in answering the question. The Portal questions can be answered on any color as well as on a star. If the player is able to answer the question correctly he is able to “portal over” to the logic track. If a player gets a portal question on the logic track, he may move ahead to the nearest same color to what he is on, but the player is not permitted to answer that question until his next turn. If the player gets a question wrong he then moves to the closest same colored square nearest to him on the fallacy track. If the player gets a question right on the fallacy track he cannot move to the logic track unless he has answered correctly a random Portal question from the corresponding colored fallacy corner. If he lands on a star the player may pick whichever card he chooses. If he can answer it correctly, he may “Portal” his way over to the nearest square on the logic track. The next person will than take his turn. Lydia, who created the game, says: "I had to do this as a final project in my logic class. People like it because it is a fun twisted version of Cranium."

Transfer Technique

2008-12-27T21:26:15-06:00

Transfer is a propaganda technique. An advertiser uses this technique when he tries to transfer our good feelings about one thing, to his product: There is no real connection between smoking cigarettes and a cowboy, but Marlboro wants you to associate the two. Mastercard wants us to transfer our good feelings about The Three Stooges to their credit card. Transfer can be used in a humorous way . . . Here the advertiser wants us to transfer our happy feelings after laughing at the advertisment, to their language school. Can you find an example of transfer? Give us a link to a video, graphic, or article that uses transfer. Post the link in the comments section below. The best example will win a copy of Secret Code Breaker, Volume I. Also, join our Fallacy Detectives Facebook group and enter this contest a second time to win Secret Code Breaker, Volume II.

Classic TV Ads

2008-12-02T18:30:20-06:00

The propaganda technique called “Appeal to Fear” is where someone tries to get you to fear the consequences of not doing what he wants. Prosecuting Attorney: “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I urge you to convict John Jones of this crime of murder. We need to put him where he can never commit any crimes. If you don’t convict him, you may be his next victim!” Which of these three classic TV ads uses Appeal to Fear? Dwight Eisenhower 1952 TV Ad Ronald Reagan 1980 TV Ad Lyndon Johnson 1964 TV Ad Post your answer in the comment section below!

Name the Propaganda

2008-10-31T03:25:20-06:00

Here are three videos featuring three propaganda techniques. Can you name them? 1. “Yes We Can” Music Video 2. Vote Different 3. Dear Mr. Obama Can you match the video with the propaganda technique? Each video uses one of these techniques. Choose which name goes with each video. a. Appeal to Fear b. Appeal to Pity c. Transfer Post your answers in the comments below. We will randomly choose a winner from among the correct answers. The winner will recieve a signed copy of The Fallacy Detective! To learn more about fallacies and propaganda techniques, visit http://www.fallacydetective.com/articles/read/short-list-of-fallacies/

Fallacies from Obama and McCain

2008-10-25T15:18:09-06:00

Here are a few fallacies and propaganda techniques we found in recent campaign TV commercials. Obama Ad “Seven?“ McCain Ad “Can Obama Lead?“ Both of these commercials use the technique of taking words out of context. Senator McCain’s comment that “. . . the fundamentals of our economy are strong . . .“ is used to imply that McCain thinks the economy is healthy. In the second video, Senator Obama says he agrees with some of McCain’s statements, but this does not imply that he agrees with McCain’s positions on issues, and therefore is not a good leader. Both of these TV commercials take words out of context. McCain Ad “Do You Know Enough about Obama?“ Obama Ad “McCain’s Spiritual Guide” These two commercials use “guilt by association” which is a type of ad hominem fallacy. The candidate is shown next to someone we are told is bad. In both cases, it is not clear what relationship the candidate still has with this “bad person” and whether their friendship - if it is a friendship - will impact their ability to lead today. Your Turn! What propaganda technique is used in the following two commercials? This one should be easy! McCain Ad “Man in the Arena” Obama Ad “James Taylor for Obama” Can you describe the techniques used in this commercial? What are they trying to get us to feel? “I Am Joe” To learn more about fallacies and propaganda techniques, visit http://www.fallacydetective.com/articles/read/short-list-of-fallacies/

Bread Facts

2008-10-02T18:10:06-06:00

1. More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users. 2. Fully half of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests. 3. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread. 4. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations. 5. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and given only water to eat begged for bread after as little as two days. 6. Bread is often a “gateway” food item, leading the user to “harder” items such as butter, jelly, peanut butter, and even cold cuts. 7. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person. 8. Newborn babies can choke on bread. 9. Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400F! That kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute. Can you name the errors in reasoning in the list above? Email your answers to info@christianlogic.com. The first three correct answers will receive a free Fallacy Detective t-shirt! (Visit http://www.fallacydetective.com/articles/read/short-list-of-fallacies/ to learn more about how to name fallacies.) Answers to Bread Facts Here are the fallacies we found in our last “Bread Facts” email: 1. “More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread users.“ This is a post hoc ergo propter hoc. Just because felons eat bread, that doesn’t mean the bread made them a felon. 2. “Fully half of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests.“ This is also post hoc ergo propter hoc. Just because below average children eat bread, that doesn’t mean the bread made them below average. 3. “More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.“ Another post hoc ergo propter hoc. Just because crimes often happen after somebody eats bread, this doesn’t mean . . . you get the point. 4. “In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever, and influenza ravaged whole nations.“ Post hoc ergo propter hoc. 5. “Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and given only water to eat begged for bread after as little as two days.“ Well, this seems to be true . . . we’re all addicted to food. But, this may be equivocating on the word “bread.“ In the first part, the word “bread” means stuff made out of flour. In the second part, “bread” refers to food, generally. 6. “Bread is often a “gateway” food item, leading the user to “harder” items such as butter, jelly, peanut butter, and even cold cuts.“ Huh? 7. “Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person.“ We don’t know what this one is, it just sounds so crazy. 8. “Newborn babies can choke on bread.“ This is an appeal to fear. 9. “Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400F! That kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute.“ Red Herring—something irrelevant is being introduced into the argument. And our winners are Maryalice Newborn, Jason Kibbe and Amy Summers! (The list above was adapted from “Bread Is Bad” http://laughlines.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/bread-is-bad/)

Simple Red Herring

2008-06-17T17:13:00-06:00

Toby asks . . . We have used some of your logic texts but have encountered an informal argument we thought may be a fallacy not covered in the books. We name it after the kid who uses it. A certain camper wore the same t-shirt all week. When my Dear Husband, his counselor, told him on Thursday to change shirt, his reply was, “Why? This shirt was fine on Monday - you had no complaints on Tuesday - no problems on Wednesday, and now all of a sudden you are saying something is wrong with it?“ Is there a name for this fallacy we just are not catching? Answer Toby, Your camper might be committing a simple red herring fallacy. This is when somebody introduces something irrelevant into an argument. While your husband does agree with this camper that his shirt was okay on previous days, this avoids your husband’s argument that the accumulation of grime has reached the point today when his shirt is a hindrance to good social interaction. Hans

Is Learning Logic the Solution to This Problem?

2008-02-18T17:33:00-06:00

“My grandson seems to have a problem making decisions . . . even what to eat for dinner. When shopping, he cannot decide if he should buy an item, and asks for my opinion, even for what I think he should buy. I thought if he could learn logic, it would give him the mental ability to weigh pros and cons and make a decision on his own. I think he’s afraid to make a decision, therefore he avoids the task. Or he may be afraid of making the “wrong” decision even when there is no right or wrong in the deciding? He is the youngest of the three children, and the only boy. Even at the age of 12 he still cannot decide. I have reviewed your website and wonder if these exercises (games, etc.) will help. Truly, Ann” Ann, It sounds like he needs more courage and confidence than logic. How is he spending his time? Maybe he needs to do things that challenge him. A few years ago, a friend took us to a local cave. We didn’t know it then, but after crawling around in dark, tight passages for a day, our life had begun to change. Since then, we have taken up caving, skiing, rock climbing, mountain climbing, mountain biking, and motorcycling. Doing these sports has taught us a lot about how to act under stressful situations, how to make clear decisions, and how to face what we fear. Check out our article “Logic of Adventure” at http://www.aisforadventure.org.

C.S. Lewis and the Either-Or Fallacy

2007-12-13T17:31:00-06:00

Letter from Carter Askren Hi. A professor of critical thinking was telling me that C.S. Lewis’ comment to the effect of, “either Jesus was who he said he was or he was a liar or a lunatic,“ is a false dichotomy and therefore illogical. I disagree, but can’t really articulate why. Liar or lunatic do seem like reasonable possibilities, but I suppose one could try to make the argument that C.S Lewis was mistaken and that could be another possibility. If false dichotomy is the presentation of conclusions that may not necessarily be all of the possible conclusions, then perhaps that was what the professor was trying to argue? I disagree with the idea that Jesus was mistaken, but I was trying to understand how someone might argue that such a statement from Jesus was illogical. And then, of course, we can remember that we are to be “fools for Christ” and that may mean standing by a position even when it is not popular—or “logical.“ Thank you for your help. Carter, In “Mere Christianity” C.S. Lewis says, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” When interpreting what someone ways – like C.S. Lewis – it is best to interpret them in the best possible light. It is likely that Lewis understood that an alternative to “liar or lunatic” was “mistaken.” Lewis’ likely intention in this paragraph from “Mere Christianity” was to point out that this third alternative, “Jesus was a wise but mistaken human being,“ is not reasonable given that Jesus claimed to be God. Lewis wasn’t committing an “either-or” fallacy because he addresses the alternatives, and rejects them. An either-or fallacy ignores the alternatives.

Logic Q & A #2

2005-10-13T21:59:00-06:00

Contents 1. Quiz answer 2. Fallacy Detective Test 3. Logic activities for younger students 4. Predicate calculus 5. Formal logic 6. Creating a formal logic book Quiz Answers The correct answer to last time’s quiz was the fallacy “post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc” or sometimes called “false cause.” Post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc is when someone concludes that since A happened before B, then A must have caused B. this fallacy also occurs when somebody says that since A and B are commonly seen together, one must have caused the other. The researchers in the article notice that murder rates, abortion, promiscuity and suicide are higher in the United States, which is a more religious nation than most European nations that have both a lower crime rate and a lower church going population. The researchers then conclude that since more religion is seen with higher crime rates etc., the religion must have caused the crime. Post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc. The quiz was won by Carter Askren, who will receive a Fallacy Detective T-shirt. Hans Bluedorn ------------------------ Do homeschool parents qualified as "teachers" for your Fallacy Detective test? I read a post from a lady in a homeschool board, where she mentioned that "to her" using the Thinking Tool Box BEFORE the Fallacy Detective was better...is there an specific, necessary order to obtain the best results from your products? Yolanda Yolanda, Yes, we will send The Fallacy Detective Test to homeschool parents. However, since the test is copyrighted, you must send us a request for it in order to receive it. You are not allowed to reproduce it except for you own homeschool/class. We recommend parents use The Fallacy Detective before The Thinking Toolbox. However, this is not necessary. We believe TFD is easier than TTT. Hans Bluedorn ------------------------ Re: logic activities for younger students I’ve used products from the Tinman Press for several years now with early and late elementary age children. While most of their products would work well in the classroom, they can also be used individually. www.tinmanpress.com The kids love the activities, and they really are great logic-building activities. I’ve also used lots of materials from the Critical Thinking Company. Their web site is searchable by grade level. http://www.brightminds.us/home/products. I saw that some families recommended using the Mind Benders, and they are good. But there are lots more materials available for younger folks. Anni Welborne West Lafayette, IN ------------------------ Hans and Nathanial, I was wondering if you could tell me what predicate calculus is? What type of logic is it? I know of someone who is using her training in this subject (she took a class) to make herself into an expert on everything in life. Help please! Anne Calvert Anne, Predicate calculus is an advanced form of modern symbolic logic. If your friend says that she knows more than you do because she knows logic, then she is fooling herself. Logic should teach humility. People with good thinking skills know they are not smarter than other people. If she knows this advanced form of logic, she should be able to translate all her new ideas into something you can understand. If she can't translate things into something that convinces you, then her advanced form of logic is useless. What is the difference between someone with such incredibly DEEP thoughts that we can't understand them, and someone with incredibly CONFUSED thoughts that we can't understand? Nathaniel ------------------------ Dear Logic Guys, Logic is a required class in the classical christian school my daughter attends. Logic instruction begins in seventh grade. This current class is working through Douglas Wilson's workbook Intro to Logic. At this point a few students are riding through, my daughter is not. I find this text and the language and concepts to be difficult. How do young students wrap their brains around these concepts? Any suggestions? Which of your materials would best complement the Wilson text? Thank you, Cynthia Brandon Cynthia, We suggest using Wilson and Nance's "Introduction to Logic" (which teaches formal logic) at age sixteen or seventeen. Some younger students handle it if they have a knowledgeable teacher to answer their questions and guide them. There is no hurry about logic. It is more important that students learn to enjoy logic and thinking skills and that they understand what they are learning. You can think of formal logic as being about as difficult as geometry. If the first thing a student learns in math is geometry, he may feel overwhelmed. It may be easier to start with something less challenging that beginners can have fun with. Nathaniel ------------------------ Are you planning to write a formal logic book? We are starting to use Introductory Logic by Wilson and Nance.We are enjoying it, but my son loves your books even more!! Thank you. Becky. Mexico City. Becky, We aren’t planning a formal logic book right now. However, we are thinking about creating a Fallacy Detective video. What do you think about that idea?