Logical fallacies

Have you ever heard an argument or a statement that was presented as fact, that just didn’t ring true?

Perhaps the statement seemed to jump to a wild conclusion, or the argument being presented was based on evidence that couldn’t easily be validated or was out of context.

These kinds of statements are often referred to as Logical Fallacies. Essentially, an argument that is built on flawed reasoning, and that – when you apply logic – is discovered to be false.

Logical fallacies can be persuasive, and are often used in rhetoric to encourage people to think a certain way or believe certain things. This is why we need to be careful and question the things we hear that don’t quite “ring true.”

In this article, we’ll learn more about the different types of logical fallacies that can be used, what they are, and how to spot them.

Don’t be fooled by logical fallacies! See the transcript for this video here.

A logical fallacy is a statement that seems to be true until you apply the rules of logic. Then, you realize that it’s not. Logical fallacies can often be used to mislead people – to trick them into believing something they otherwise wouldn’t.

Think, for example, about the statement below:

“In a study designed by a famous academic to test the effects of pleasant imagery on motivation, employees were shown images of baby animals and beautiful nature scenes for their first five minutes at work.

“Amazingly, results showed a 10 percent leap in profits in the first quarter and record earnings over the course of a year. So, showing employees pleasant images is a great way to increase their motivation and improve productivity.”

What do you think about the argument you just read? Do you believe the conclusion?

You shouldn’t.

The argument contains a number of logical fallacies. But don’t worry if you believed the conclusion: the passage contains some very common (and effective) tactics for manipulating reason and logic.

The ability to discern a valid argument from a false one is an important skill. It’s a key aspect of critical thinking, and it can help you to avoid falling prey to fake news.

If you’re taken in by a logical fallacy, false conclusions might cause you to make decisions that you later regret. And using a logical fallacy in your own arguments can make you look gullible or uninformed. Worse still, it can make you seem dishonest.

Taking logical fallacies at face value can lead you to make poor decisions based on unsound arguments. And using them yourself – even by mistake – can make you appear untrustworthy and damage your reputation.

Knowing how to spot them is a valuable skill. You can do so by learning how a logical argument is constructed, and by thinking critically about the arguments that you hear and read.

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