ENTRY 4
Argument Structures and Fallacies
Item 1
The picture on Jim's old TV set goes out of focus. Jim
goes over and strikes the TV soundly on the side and the picture goes back into
focus. Jim tells his friend that hitting the TV fixed it.
-Source:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/post-hoc.html
-Type of fallacy: Post-hoc fallacy
-Analysis:
Premise: Tom strikes the out of focus TV
The
TV is back into focus
------------------------------------------------
Conclusion: Striking the TV fixed it
The conclusion is false because it is not sure
that the act of hitting the TV has some influence on it. Maybe it is because of
the waves or something else.
Item 2
Every person is
either wholly good or wholly evil
-Source: http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/fd.htm
-Type of fallacy: False
dilemma
-Analysis: Almost
everybody is not wholly good or bad. People have both bright and dark sides.
Item 3:
-Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2yFog6Mv9ONSBgS1e_cHWUP-frPuB7dHQNQrK3CxbJTDTERvmt1z5p71Wj0HShuJsTfkU_XdozCySKHiWZcHF1qzkcMb6e6_FbK6-7QZ9j-zpMvSHWr60ZAniWo6WYZvCb0-sv1uFk37/s400/logic
-Type of fallacy: Personal
attack
-Analysis: The
student blames the professor’s sign of the zodiac, which doesn’t get on well
with the student’s, for his bad result of the exam instead of his own ability
and knowledge.