Entry 4_Trần Thị Huyền Trang

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

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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.