Page 96 - Computer Basics- Student Textbook

Fish begin dying by the thousands in a lake near your hometown. An environmental group immediately
cites chemical dumping by several manufacturing plants as the cause. But other causes are possible. A
disease might have affected the fish; the growth of algae might have contributed to the deaths; or acid rain
might be a factor.

“In Latin, this fallacy is known as post hoc, ergo propter hoc (“after this, therefore because of this”)

Event or condition E1 is regularly associated with event or condition E2. Therefore, event or condition E1
causes even or condition E2.
[Behren & Rosen, WRAC, 57; Weston, RA, 78]).

4. Either/Or Reasoning (False Dilemma)— Apathy in recognizing the complexity. This is a process by the author
who restricts the “range of possible solutions by offering only two courses of actions, and then rejects the one that
he opposes, he cannot logically argue that the remaining course of action, which he favors, is therefore the only
one that makes sense. Usually, several other options (at least) are possible.” Here is an example:

America: Love It or Leave It,” “Since the universe could not have been created out of nothingness, it must
have been created by an intelligent life force . . .” “Well, maybe, but is creation by an intelligent life force
the only other possibility?” “This argument overlooks alternatives (Weston, RA, 77, (Behrens & Rosen, WRAC,
58).

5. Hasty Generalization (Overgeneralization — drawing of conclusion from “too little evidence or from
unrepresentative evidence.” Here are some examples:
Scientists should not proceed with the Human Genome Project because a recent editorial urged that the
project be abandoned is to make a hasty generalization” (Behrens & Rosen, WRAC, 58).

Just because your student friends are all athletes or business majors or vegetarians, it doesn’t follow that all
of your fellow students are the same (Weston, RA, 78).

Everyone in my neighborhood favors Edgar Chagwa Lungu or Mbingu Wamtharika for president.
Therefore, Edgar Chagwa Lungu or Mbingu Wamtharika is sure to win. (Weston, RA, 11).

6. False Analogy—Comparison of “one person, event, or issue to another may be illuminating, but it can also be
confusing or misleading. Differences between the two may be more significant than their similarities.” Here is an
example:

A candidate for governor or president who argues that her experience as CEO of a major business would
make her effective in governing a state or the country is assuming an analogy between the business and the
political/civic worlds that does not hold up to examination. Most businesses are hierarchical, or top down:
When a CEO issues an order, he or she can expect it to be carried out without argument. But governors and
presidents command only their own executive branch. They cannot issue orders to independent legislatures
or courts (much less private citizens); they can only attempt to persuade. In this case, the implied analogy
fails to convince the thoughtful reader or listener” (Behrens & Rosen, WRAC, 58-59).

7. Begging the Question (In Latin; [petitio principii also known as Circular Reasoning)—An assumption as a proven
fact of the very thesis being argued. Here are a couple of examples:

“That America does not need a new health care delivery system because America currently has the best
health care in the world does not prove anything: It merely repeats the claim in different—and equally
unproven—words” (Behrens & Rosen, WRAC, 59).

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