An Example or Two

Lisa, however, remains unconvinced because Durwood wears really ugly plaid slacks and combs several long strands of hair over his obvious bald spot. In so doing, Lisa is committing the logical fallacy of personal attack. Alternatively, if Lisa is convinced of reincarnation, ghosts, and life after death because 90% of the folks responding to a recent survey have similar beliefs, then she is committing the fallacy of mass appeal. In neither case is her conclusion based on whether or not reincarnation, ghosts, and life after death do or do not exist.

Six Common Fallacies

• False Cause: The logical fallacy of arguing that two events have a causal connection, that is one event causes the other, because they happen at about the same time. It is a fallacy to conclude that just because your dog died during a full moon, that the full moon killed your dog.


• Personal Attack: The logical fallacy of arguing that something is bad because someone "associated" with the thing is ugly, has a funny nose, drives a foreign car, regularly watches daytime soap operas, or wears outdated clothing. This fallacy is rampant in the political arena. Some politicians promote the notion that only good people propose good policies, while bad people have bad policies. The fact of the matter is that good people propose bad policies and bad people propose good policies.


• Division: The logical fallacy of arguing that what is true for the whole is also true for the parts. In the study of economics, this takes the form of assuming that what works for the aggregate, or macroeconomy, also works for parts of the economy, such as households or businesses.


• Composition: The logical fallacy of arguing that what is true for the parts is also true for the whole. In the study of economics, this takes the form of assuming that what works for parts of the economy, such as households or businesses also works for the aggregate, or macroeconomy.


• False Authority: The logical fallacy of arguing that something is "correct" or "true" because an "expert" in an unrelated area says so. This is commonly used by both advertisers, politicians, and anyone who relies on their Uncle Clyde for the "correct" answers to controversial economic issues. Not that Uncle Clyde is a bad person. He is a really nice man and an excellent barber. But he is just not an expert on economic policies.


• Mass Appeal: The logical fallacy of arguing that something is "correct" or "true" because a majority of the population thinks so. Once again, this is commonly used by both advertisers and politicians. Just because something is popular, does not mean it is "right." In fact, a cynic might argue that being popular probably makes it "wrong."

The Political Arena

Unfortunately, the consequences of politician-prompted fallacies can be enormous. If Chip Merthington uses a fallacy or two to convince Edgar Millbottom that Millard Fillmore was the greatest baseball player in the history of the game, then what is the harm? Edgar might be deluded and possibly make a fool out of himself during an appearance on Jeopardy. But, by and large, the damage is limited.