Lessons in Logic #9: Equivocation


January 28, 2010

A play on words can be humorous, but it can also be a logical fallacy. Equivocation exchanges one definition of a word for another. Take the following examples: It’s wrong for a man to beat his wife. When Mike played his wife Cheryl in a game of chess, he beat her. Therefore, what Mike did [...]

Lessons in Logic #8: Appeal to Pity


January 25, 2010

Also known as Argumentum ad Misericordiam, the Appeal to Pity is a form of Red Herring argument in which logic is abandoned in favor of an emotional response, specifically pity. Because the Appeal to Pity is manipulative in nature, it also falls under the umbrella of propaganda. Mr. Vandalay: Thanks for coming in to day [...]

Lessons in Logic #7: Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc


January 23, 2010

The Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc fallacy is also known as “After this, therefore because of this”. It’s a very common fallacy, easy to commit, and often difficult to detect. It’s based on the assumption that if A happens after B, A was caused by B. This is the fallacy that starts superstitions. When a [...]

Patrick Szalapski: The Atonement

For this episode, Patrick Szalapski of ShareYourFaith.org returns for a second episode with me to discuss the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement. We also discussed some of the competing doctrines, such as Christus Victor. To sign up for email notifications of new episodes of Echo Zoe Radio, visit http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2292

Lessons in Logic #6: Appeal to Authority


January 21, 2010

If you’re categorizing fallacies as sub-fallacies of others, the Appeal to Authority would be a sub-fallacy of the Genetic Fallacy. It is used when experts are cited that are not experts in the subject at hand. Curt: Warren Buffet is the richest man in the world, and he says that Vitamin-D3 supplements reduce your chances [...]

Lessons in Logic #5: The Genetic Fallacy


January 20, 2010

The Genetic Fallacy is one in which an argument is supported or dismissed based on its origin, rather than its merit. It is similar to the Ad Hominem attack, and can even be easily confused with Ad Hominem, but rather than attacking the person making the argument, the source is attacked. Here’s an example to [...]

Lessons in Logic #4: Tu Quoque


January 8, 2010

Tu Quoque is a form of ad hominem. It means “You too”. It’s often called “The You Too Fallacy”. The way Tu Quoque works is that a person’s argument is dismissed because he is guilty of violating his own argument. He is hung on his inconsistency. Dave: Marriage is a sacred institution Brian, you need [...]

Lessons in Logic #3: Ad Hominem


January 7, 2010

If distorting or distracting from an argument isn’t beneficial, the next fallacy often employed is the Ad Hominem, which means “against the man”. It’s also known as a personal attack. In an ad hominem argument, the credibility, reputation, or motives of the person is maligned. It doesn’t matter if the attack on the person is [...]

Lessons in Logic #2: The Red Herring


January 6, 2010

In the last lesson, we looked at the Straw Man fallacy. Similar to the Straw Man is the Red Herring. In the sport of fox hunting, trainers would drag dead herring across the trail in order to train their dogs to stay on the right scent. When a dog was correctly trained, it would stay [...]

Lessons in Logic #1: The Straw Man


January 5, 2010

The Straw Man is a logic fallacy that you probably see all of the time, but often don’t notice. In using a Straw Man, one person redefines, distorts, misrepresents, or exaggerates another’s statement or argument in a way that is much easier to attack than what was actually said. If you got into a fight [...]

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