Slides: Component Fallacies (Dr. Feddes)

Component Fallacies

Component fallacies are errors in inductive and deductive reasoning or in syllogistic terms that fail to overlap. (Kip Wheeler)

Begging the question
Assuming what you are supposed to prove.

“It’s foolish to believe harmful, false ideas like Calvin’s. So don’t be a Calvinist.”

Descartes tried to provide his existence by arguing, “I think, therefore I exist.” However, he embedded “I” in the premise, so he was assuming his existence, not proving it.

Circular reasoning

“God exists.”

“Why should I believe God exists?”

“Because the Bible says so.”

“Why should I believe the Bible?”

“Because it’s the inspired Word of God.”

“But why should I believe God exists?"

Hasty generalization
Jumping to conclusions: mistaken use of inductive reasoning when there are too few samples to prove a point.

• Anecdotal evidence
• Fallacy of accident
• Misleading statistic

Hasty generalization: Anecdotal evidence

“I see news reports of Muslims engaging in terrorism. It’s obvious that most Muslims are violent, and Islam encourages terror.”

“Jesus, Peter, and Paul did miracles of healing, so God clearly wants all of his people to do miracles of healing.”

Hasty generalization: Fallacy of accident

“The numerical value of NERO in Hebrew is 666. So 666 in Revelation 13:18 must mean that the beast was Nero.”

“Ronald Wilson Reagan is three names of six letters each. Therefore, 666 reveals President Reagan to be the antichrist.”

Hasty generalization: Misleading statistic

“87 percent of teens who responded to an online survey said they use drugs and don’t believe in God. What a tragedy that 7 of 8 youth in our nation choose drugs over God.”

Slothful induction
Opposite of hasty generalization: refusing to recognize abundant evidence or draw a conclusion when it seems very probable.

“Maybe socialism has stifled freedom and led to poverty wherever it has been tried in the past. But this time is different. It will bring freedom and prosperity for all.”

False cause
Claiming a cause/effect relationship that does not exist.

• Correlation/Causation
• Non Causa Pro Causa
• Post hoc ergo propter hoc
• Texas sharpshooter

False cause: Correlation/Causation 

"When roosters crow, the sun comes up. Therefore, roosters cause the sunrise."

"Children who watch a lot of TV are more violent. TV makes children more violent."

"Many poor people use drugs or alcohol. Therefore, poverty causes addiction."

 

False cause: Non Causa Pro Causa (Not the cause for the cause)

"This man is blind. Either he was bad, or his parents were bad." (John 9:2)

"We prayed and won the game. Our prayers are the reason we won."

False cause: Post hoc ergo propter hoc (After this, therefore because of this)

“The economy was strong before that person became president, but now it is much lower. Therefore, the president caused this economic downturn.”

Texas sharpshooter
Seeing patterns where no real pattern exists, or claiming that a data cluster supports an argument.

Nostradamus: “Beasts wild with hunger will cross the rivers; The greater part of the battle will be against Hister. He will cause great men to be dragged in a cage of iron, When the son of Germany obeys no law.”

Selective evidence

"1 Corinthians 14:34 says 'women should remain silent in the churches.' This plainly shows that women should not pray out loud, offer testimonies, or speak in any public gathering of the church."

"Galatians 3:28 says there is no male or female in Christ. Therefore, women may preach, and same-sex marriage is okay."

Red herring
Turning a discussion in a direction that does not affect the original question.

“A fetus does not feel pain during an abortion. Therefore abortion is okay.”

“An unborn baby feels pain during an abortion. Therefore abortion is wrong.”

Straw man

“Creationists treat the Bible like a science textbook or an encyclopedia that answers all our questions. The Bible is not a science textbook. It’s not meant to answer questions on every subject. Therefore, creationists are wrong to think that God created the world in six days of ordinary length.”

Non sequitur
(It does not follow.)

“Spirit-filled people are kind. Jenny is kind. Therefore Jenny is Spirit-filled.”

“Pastor X is a money-hungry hypocrite. Therefore, all Christians are hypocrites.”

“Old cars and computers are obsolete. Christianity is old, so it is obsolete.”

Slippery slope
(Camel’s nose fallacy)

“If a masters degree isn’t required for pastors, churches won’t value truth.”

“If kids are allowed to question adults, they will grow up to be wicked rebels.”

“If our view of the millennium is doubted, soon Jesus’ return will be denied.”

Either/Or
(False dilemma, false choice, excluded middle)

“Miracles are not important for their own sakes but for the message they convey.”

“Jesus was all about kindness and love, not commands and punishment.”

“A husband must demand respect from his wife, or she will rule the roost.”

Middle ground
Claiming truth lies between extremes

“Evangelicals say people are saved only by Jesus. Universalists say all are saved. Let’s avoid extremes and say that some people are saved without Jesus if they’re good."

“Pro-choicers favor all abortions. Pro-lifers think all abortions are wrong. The truth is that abortion is okay up to 6 months.”

Faulty analogy

“Raising a child is like baking a cake. Stick to the recipe, and the results will be good.”

“Jesus is the light; therefore, you can turn him on or off like you flip a light switch.”

“Scripture says Satan is like a roaring lion. Scripture also speaks of Jesus as a lion. So Jesus and Satan are ultimately alike.”

Undistributed middle term

“All murderer are sinful. Kyle is sinful. Therefore, Kyle is a murderer.”

“All true Christians love others. Janet loves others. Therefore, Janet is a true Christian.”

“All men are primates. All monkeys are primates. Therefore, all men are monkeys.”

Contradictory premises

“If God can do anything, he can make a stone so heavy that he can't lift it.”

“We must not legislate morality. People should not force their beliefs on others. Laws must support gay marriage and limit climate change, since it’s the right thing to do.”

Special pleading

“Everything must have a beginning and a cause outside itself. Therefore God must exist and he must have created the world.”

“What? Then who created God?”

“God is eternal and unchanging—He has no beginning or cause outside himself.”