 Blaise Pascal http://faculty.chass.ncsu.edu/bykova/phi310/Pascal.jpg Five Common |
Human beings do not naturally think rationally and critically. We have to deliberately focus in order to think responsibly. When we are reasoning with eachother, we often make mistakes during the reasoning process. I will bring five common thinking errors to your attention and provide some examples so that you can know them and focus on avoiding them in your life.
A non sequitur occurs when a person comes at a conclusion that does not logically follow the premises that support it.
Premise: My hand is broken.
Premise: I have a bracelet on the hand.
COnclusion: The bracelet broke my hand.
http://darwin.chem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/nonsequitur.jpg
This common thinking error occurs when one draws the logical conclusion from one or two premises that are either false or vague. And therefore, the conclusion from these premises (even if it is logical from the premises)is either false or vague.
An example of this error would be...
Premise: All humans have red hair.
Premise: My brother is a human.
Conclusion: My brother has red hair.
What is wrong with this logic?
The first statement is false and the second statement is somewhat vague, and so the conclusion that follows is false, even though it logically followed the premises.
Was the decision to go to war a conclusion based on false premises...something to think about?
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/9326/bushliespez4aj4ip.jpg
3. Ad Hominem
http://caracaschronicles.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/248963425_27749d54eb_o-793553.jpg
Example
Priest: "I believe that euthanasia is morally wrong." Speaker with Error: "Of course you would say that, you're a priest." Priest: "What about the evidence I have to support my position?" Speaker with Error: "It does not matter. You're a priest, so you have to say that euthanasia is wrong."
Begging the question is demonstrated when a person tries to prove a point, but already assumes that the point is true, often by just rearranging the word order.
http://www.oocities.org/philodept/diwatao/image/log4p6.gif
When an argument or discussion becomes awkward, intense, or emotional, the overwhelmed person in the argument might throw a red herring. A red herring is a statement is off topic and is designed to distract the discussion from the real point.
Example
I you have any comments, responses, questions... email me at jamntm@charter.net
http://huskworks.com/psychedelic-creatures.jpg