Sunday, May 2, 2021

The Term "Logic Fallacies" can Seem Like an Oxymoron

   You might have noticed the term "Logical Fallacies" seems like an oxymoron.  Strictly speaking, "logic" is reasoning conducted according to strict principles of validity. There is no fallacy in logic, by that definition. However, the word "logic" is also used to describe the process of mental thinking, even if if that thinking is not done "according to strict principles of validity". Here's an example: "By your kind of logic, Mars is somewhere out on my front lawn."

   Those who list the most common "Logical Fallacies" quite often include the "False, False Fallacy." In it, you assume that if a person uses a Logical Fallacy, his or her conclusion must be wrong. But, that isn't always the case. Sometimes, you can be right about your conclusion without being right about the process you took to arrive at it. 

   Many of those who teach what the "Logical Fallacies" are have come to recognize that the term is an oxymoron. As a result, such entries on the topic are simply titled "Fallacies" in such places as Britannica and Wikipedia and you will be redirected to that entry if you type in the more-common, "Logical Fallacies."
  

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