Fallacies refer to mistakes that people make frequently in arguments. Most fallacies accrue from questionable premises, while others accrue from false dichotomy or slippery slope Fallacies make arguments less logical and lack the compelling evidence required to assure coherency and completeness. If an argument had fallacy, then the conclusion becomes false (Mosser, K., 2011).
1. The first fallacy concerns making hasty generalizations: Here is an example.
I have read books about Africa. The books report a great deal of poverty in the continent. Ayodo is from Nigeria, which is in Africa. Ayodo is therefore poor. The fallacy in this argument is because it assumes that everyone in Africa is poor. Poverty can be rampant but it does not mean that everyone is poor.
2. The second argument accrues from the pity and popularity fallacy.
Because I am from Africa where are poor, I deserve this job since it can make be in a position to help the people of my continent. This argument often sways many people. However, a logical analysis will bring its fallacy to the fore. First, the fact that the person is from Africa does not mean that he is the best person to help the continent. Anyone else can help the continent. Second, how sure are we that the person is so committed to helping the continent?
3. The third fallacy comes from false authority.
Kevin is an English college professor and I know that he reads the books authored by D.H Lawrence. This means that D.H Lawrence is a good writer. Because Kevin is, a professor does not mean that good writers author the books that he reads. There is a chance Kevin has a weird test in reading or probably like D. H Lawrence for other reasons.
Identify two distinct fallacies you see committed in the media. Do you think it is more likely that you will not be fooled by these fallacies having studied logic? What do you think those presenting these arguments assume about the logical skills of their viewers? Is this a good or bad assumption for them to make?
The most common fallacies committed in the media are a skewed perception of beauty. In the media, it always assumed that a specific group of people who look a certain way defines beauty. The media makes beauty have a universally accepted standard, which is not the case. Having studied logic, I will not be fooled by the media’s standardization of beauty since I know that it is a fallacy. The logic behind it is narrow and skewed to support a given premise or particular standard of beauty. I think that the media’s depiction of beauty is influenced by consumerism in the society and the obsession with slim body for women and blonde or blue eyes for men and women. I think this is a wrong assumption since it is not a representation of the whole world.
Another fallacy that the media commits is the representation of other parts of the world as dangerous and unbearable. While it is true that places, for example, Mexico has a some degree of insecurity that is different from the United States; it does not mean that life is unbearable in such places. If that is true, then why do people still live there?
References
Kurt, M. (2011). An Introduction to Logic. Bridgepoint Education
