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POPSLogical Fallacies and the Art of Debate More: In general, of course, it's a good idea to avoid logical fallacies if at all possible, because a good debater will almost always catch you. It is especially important to avoid obvious logical fallacies like the one above (argumentum ad populum), because they are vulnerable to such powerful (and persuasive) refutations. But sometimes, a logical fallacy -- or at least an unjustified logical leap -- is unavoidable. And there are some types of argument that are listed as logical fallacies in logic textbooks, but that are perfectly acceptable in the context of the rules of debate. The most important guideline for committing such fallacies yourself is to know when you are doing it, and to be prepared to justify yourself later if the opposition tries to call you down for it.
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POPSThe Taxonomy of Logical Fallacies The Taxonomy is in table form and wouldn't clip coherently. Click through to see it. Warning: you can lose a lot of time on this site, clicking from one to another to another... :-p
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POPSList of logical fallacies (nizkor.org) It's very useful to be able to identify errors in reasoning and logical flaws when discussing (or arguing) about idea – your own argument will be stronger if you eliminate fallacies before you make it, for one thing. And, of course, being able to point out the places where someone else's argument breaks down is the quickest way to be able to refute it. Here's one list of 42 of the most common logical fallacies.
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POPSLogical Fallacies - an Encyclopeda of Errors of Reasoning A logical fallacy is, roughly speaking, an error of reasoning. When someone adopts a position, or tries to persuade someone else to adopt a position, based on a bad piece of reasoning, they commit a fallacy…Some logical fallacies are more common than others, and so have been named and defined. When people speak of logical fallacies they often mean to refer to this collection of well-known errors of reasoning….
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POPSNew YouTube Video Details The Issues In Berg v Obama Court Filing While legal, Berg stated he is “outraged as this is another attempt to hide the truth from the public; it is obvious that documents do not exist to prove that Obama is qualified to be President.” The case is Berg v. Obama, No. 08-cv-04083. Their joint motion indicates a concerted effort to avoid the truth by attempting to delay the judicial process, although legal, by not resolving the issue presented: that is, whether Barack Obama meets the qualifications to be President. Obama cannot produce a certified copy of his “Vault” Birth Certificate from Hawaii because it does not exist.
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POPSSYMPTOMS OF RELIGIOUS ADDICTION The ultimate temptation of the believer is to assume that his or her way to God is the best or only way for others. The particular Way to God becomes what is adored, not the ineffable and incomprehensible Mystery to which we give the name of God. In essence we have become addicted to the certainty, sureness or sense of security that our faith provides. It is no longer a living by faith, with hope and growing in unconditional love. adapted from When God Becomes a Drug, by Leo Booth
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POPSWhat makes us humans? Just watched it. Interesting adaptation. The story spans around the question of whether Jerry (an anthropoid) is entitled to basic human rights. The argumentation paints an ironic picture of what being human is all about in the view of main stream society.
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POPSNanoEthics Journal Via {{wildcat}}'s clip Nanoethics -- The watchdog of a new technology? This is the link to the (freely online available) journal NanoEthics and its first (and sofar only) articles. NanoEthics: Ethics for Technologies that Converge at the Nanoscale will focus on the philosophically and scientifically rigorous examination of the ethical and societal considerations and the public and policy concerns inherent in nanotechnology research and development. These issues include both individual and societal problems, and include individual health, wellbeing and human enhancement, human integrity and autonomy, distribution of the costs and benefits, threats to culture and tradition and to political and economic stability. Additionally there are meta-issues including the neutrality or otherwise of technology, designing technology in a value-sensitive way, and the control of scientific research.
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POPSBush on Intelligent Design I thought I would blog about the oxymoron of intelligent design for a while. What better place to start than with the remarks of President Bush on the subject. While Bush made these remarks in August of 2005, I am certain his position has not changed one iota--mostly because he has demonstrated a stubborn streak many times over when it comes to changing his mind. Mr. Bush argues that one must teach both sides of the controversy between evolution and intelligent design. So what could be wrong with that? First, there is no controversy . Declaring something a controversy does not make it so. Simply declaring that a controversy exists (over fill in the blank) creates a straw man that allows the proponents of intelligent design to have talking points rather than to address the issues advanced by the FACT of evolution. The straw man argument is one of the deadly fallacies in logical argumentation.
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POPSA good place to start before arguing If people can agree to use the rules of logical argument, this is an excellent source for determining whether or not an argument--not a person--is true or false. Please assume that I'm doing my best to adhere to these rules (, even if I'm just joking around. If you are going to come at me, come armed.
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