Issues in Fallacious Arguments - Assignment Example

So, Rick Santorum has suspended his campaign. Further, when we discover a fallacy in an argument, it does not imply the conclusion is false; instead, it means that the argument does not efficiently establish its conclusion. I therefore would have to construct arguments that display distinct fallacies.

Red Herring fallacies - Appeal to Emotion. Rather than providing reasons, this type of argument only incorporates meaningful language for aggravating empathy or resentment towards a specific assertion. Consider: You should not oppose Mitt Romney. It is Unrepublican. This isn’t an excellent argument but absolute rhetoric. In this case, the argument rests upon the premise that you cannot be a loyalist if you do not agree with everything Romney says.

The fallacy of Causation. This is the fallacy of inferring that A caused B, from the premise that A and B are interrelated. Consider: Our study finds obese people are avid readers of books on nutrition and weight loss. Therefore, a book on nutrition and weightlessness influences someone’s decision to be obese. In this case, the conclusion doesn’t follow from the premise, because it is probable that the connection here is unintended. Alternatively, it may be that reading a book on nutrition and weight loss should assist you to reduce the excess calories instead of the way around.

The fallacy of Division. This is the fallacy of deducing that the parts of A must have a certain aspect, from the premise that A as whole has an aspect. Consider: Rick Santorum prematurely terminated his campaign. And that means his advisor is responsible for the premature suspension of the campaign. Just because Santorum suspended his campaign doesn’t mean that his advisor decided to terminate his campaign prematurely. It is even possible that his advisor advised him against early campaign termination.