Lesson5-Love-Is-a-Fallacy

LoveisaFallacyLessonFiveTeachingContentsSpecialTermsinLogicIntroductiontotheTextOrganizationalPatternDetailedStudyoftheTextStyleAppreciationTheChiefAttractionoftheStoryLanguageFeaturesLogicalfallacy:AnargumentinlogicpresentsevidenceinsupportofsomethesisorconclusionArgument:astatementwhichisofferedasanevidenceoraproof.Anargumentconsistsoftwomajorelements1.conclusion:thethesisarguedfor2.premises:apreviousstatementservingasabasisforanargument.Conclusionistobedrawn/inferredfrompremises.SpecialTermsinLogicBackFallacy:falsereasoning,asinanargumentaweaknessandlackoflogicorgoodsenseinanargumentorpieceofreasoningUsually,anargumentiscorrect(deductivelyvalid)ifthepremisescanprovideenoughconclusiveevidencefortheconclusion.Anargumentthatfailstobeconclusivelydeducedisinvalid;itissaidtobefallacious.SpecialTermsinLogicBackThreetypesoffallacy:1.materialfallacy(fallaciesofpresumption):initsmaterialcontentthroughamisstatementofthefacts.2.verbalfallacy(fallaciesofambiguity):initswordingthroughanincorrectuseofterms.3.formalfallacy(logicalfallacy):initsstructurethroughtheuseofanimproperprocessofinference.SpecialTermsinLogicBackThefallaciesinthetextbelongtothefirsttype:materialfallacies.Someoftheimportantfallaciesinthiscategoryinclude:1.DictoSimpliciter:thefallacyofaccidentiscommittedbyanargumentthatappliesageneralruletoaparticularcaseinwhichsomespecialcircumstancesmaketheruleinapplicableSpecialTermsinLogicBack1.DictoSimplicter“Everyonewantstogetmarriedsomeday.”Theexamplestartsalogicaltrainofthoughtwithanassumptionthatisfalse.Not“everyone”wantstogetmarried.ExamplesofFallacyBackThefallaciesinthetextbelongtothefirsttype:materialfallacies.Someoftheimportantfallaciesinthiscategoryinclude:2.Thefallacyof“HastyGeneralization”:Theconversefallacyofaccidentarguesimproperlyfromaspecialcasetoageneralrule.SpecialTermsinLogicBack2.Thefallacyof“HastyGeneralization”“MrWang’shandwritingisterrible.Mr.Hu’shandwritingisalsoterribleandyouknowhowterriblemen’shandwritingis.”Itappliesaspecialcasetogeneralrule.Thefactthatcertainperson’shandwritingisbaddoesn’timplythatallmen’shandwritingisbad.ExamplesofFallacyBackThefallaciesinthetextbelongtothefirsttype:materialfallacies.Someoftheimportantfallaciesinthiscategoryinclude:3.Thefallacyofirrelevantconclusion:Itiscommittedwhentheconclusionchangesthepointthatisatissueinthepremises.Specialcasesofirrelevantconclusionarepresentedbytheso-calledfallaciesofrelevance.Theseinclude:SpecialTermsinLogicBacka)theargumentadhominem(speaking“againsttheman”rathertotheissue,orthefallacyof“poisoningthewell”mentionedinthetext)inwhichthepremisesmayonlymakeapersonalattackonapersonwhoholdssomethesis,insteadofofferinggroundsshowingwhywhathesaysisfalse;b)theargumentmisericordiam(anappealto“pity”),aswhenantriallawyer,ratherthanarguingforhisclient’sinnocence,triestomovethejurytosympathyforhim.SpecialTermsinLogicBacka)AdHominem(“speakingagainsttheperson”,“poisoningthewell”inthetext)“Ms.BauerisaterribleEnglishteacher.Shealwayswearsbluejeans.”InsteadofpointoutfaultsinMs.Bauver’steachingtechnique,itcallsattentiontothingsaboutateacherasapersonthatareunrelatedtoherteachingperformance.ExamplesofFallacyBackb)Misericordiam(anappealtopity)“Lookatthisfourteen-year-oldchildwho’srunawayfromhometohidehershame—pregnant,unwashed,friendless.penniless,atthemercyofoursocialserviceagencies.Canyoutillclaimthatsexshouldbetaughtintheclassroom?”Inthisshiftyapproachtoargumentation,thewritergivestearjerkingdescriptionsofthecruelopponents’victimsinordertoarousesympathyfromthereader.ExamplesofFallacyBackThefallaciesinthetextbelongtothefirsttype:materialfallacies.Someoftheimportantfallaciesinthiscategoryinclude:4.Thefallacyofcircularargument:Itoccurswhenthepremisespresume,openlyorcovertly,theveryconclusionthatistobedemonstrated.SpecialTermsinLogicBackCircularReasoning(beggingthequestion)“Juanisanimpressivespeakerbecausehealwaystoucheshislistenersdeeply.”Thisproblemoccurswhenthewritertriestosupportaclaimbyrestatingitindifferentwords.Youcantellthisexampleiscircularbyconsideringthis“WhyisJuananimpressivespeaker?”“Becausehetoucheshislistenersdeeply.?”“WhyareJuan’slistenerstouchedsodeeply?”“Becauseheisanimpressivespeaker.”impressive=touchingsomeonedeeplyExamplesofFallacyBackThefallaciesinthetextbelongtothefirsttype:materialfallacies.Someoftheimportantfallaciesinthiscategoryinclude:5.Thefallacyoffalsecause:Itdislocatesthecauseofonephenomenoninanotherthatisonlyseeminglyrelated.Themostcommonversionofthisfallacy,calledposthocergopropterhoc,mistakestemporalsequenceforcausalconnection—aswhenamisfortuneisattributedtoa“malign(有害的)event”,likethedroppingofamirror.SpecialTermsinLogicBackPosthocergopropterhoc(afterthis;therefore;becauseofthis)“ThelastfivetimesthatI’vewornmywhitepants,somethingdepressinghashappened.I’mnotgoingtowearthosepantsagain!”ThisfallacyassumesthatifeventYhappenedaftereventX,thenXmustbethecauseofY.ExamplesofFallacyBackThefallaciesinthetextbelongtothefirsttype:materialfallacies.Someoftheimportantfallaciesinth