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- Fallacies Paper -
Due Dates: M/W Class: November 13, 2013 at the beginning of the class.
Tuesday Night Class: November 19, 2013 at 7pm
We began this class by finding logical errors within an argument through categorical syllogism and propositional logic. Most recently we have been analyzing arguments for informal fallacies. Remember, a fallacy is a defect in an argument that consists in something other than merely false premises. A fallacy involves a mistake in reasoning or an error. That is why critical thinking begins with the problem of error. This is what you will be doing for the fallacies paper. This section is pretty self-‐explanatory, though it isn't easy. It is your turn to find fallacies in everyday life. You have already done some looking at ordinary language arguments in other assignments, so you know that with them you often need to do some, or maybe lots of, interpretation of the arguer's intent. You need to "read between the lines" and pay close attention to assumptions that are not explicitly stated.
Insert (Cut and paste on a computer or cut and paste in the real world)
Original Letter to the Editor:
Define the Fallacy: Define the fallacy in question in your own words.
In your own words re-‐create the original argument: Include ALL premises mentioned by the author and the conclusion.
(Some authors will have more than one conclusion, if so mention ALL the conclusions.) Also, state any assumptions that are being made by you or implied assumptions being made by the author.
Make a connection between the definition of the fallacy and the argument: Convince me that the letter to the editor does contain the fallacy that you have already defined. This is the most important part
of the paper. This is your original argument and should be convincing.
Mention other fallacies being committed in the letter: Simply list out other fallacies beings committed in the letter. If no other fallacies are being committed, just write ‘none’.
Bibliography:
Using standard MLA formatting, site your source.
Dear Editor, - Anonymous
How to Prepare Writing for your Paper
Paper Layout: Your paper must be typed double space with 1-‐inch margins and size 12 font, Times New Roman. Cover Page: You must put your name and all such on a cover page. Your name should only appear on the cover page, do not put your name as a header throughout the paper.
Finding Letters to the Editor and Fallacies:
The Paper:
For this part you will collect FOUR examples of letter to the editors that contain fallacies, following these guidelines.
A. You must have FOUR unique fallacies; One fallacy from Unacceptable Premises Column, Two Unique fallacies from Irrelevant Premises Column AND one fallacy from Insufficient Premises column. Note: many letters to the Editor commit more than one fallacy. You must mention the other fallacies being committed in the article. However, you are only required to argue for one of them.
B. The fallacies must have been published as a letter to the editor. You must include an original or a photocopy of the
fallacy; and include complete bibliographic data. **Must be dated between July – Nov 2013**
C. Name the fallacy and define the fallacy in your own words. In other words, do not use direct quotes. I want you to take the time and explain the fallacy in your own words.
D. Explain the argument that is being presented by the author of the letter to the editor. This is the bulk of your paper.
This part is important, because I may not interpret the editorial the way you do. If there is no explanation, I won't be able to give you credit for your work. You may have to write out assumed premises that the author left unstated. You must mention any assumptions that you are making concerning the argument.
E. Argue that the fallacy is being committed in the argument. Connect the fallacy that you defined in section C with the
argument that you presented in section D. This is an important part of your paper.
F. Many letters to the editors contain more than one fallacy. However, you only need to explain in detail ONE of the fallacies being committed. The other fallacies should be mentioned within your paper but do not need to be thoroughly explained.
Unacceptable Premises (1) Irrelevant Premises (2) Insufficient Premises (1) Begging the Question Equivocation Hasty Generalization
False Dilemma Composition Faulty Analogy Division False Cause Appeal to the Person Slippery Slope Genetic Fallacy Appeal to the Authority Appeal to the Masses Appeal to Tradition Appeal to Ignorance Appeal to Fear Straw Man
Extra Credit Below you will find two different fallacies and on the class website you will find two different articles to read. Please read all the articles and then answer the questions concerning each of the articles. DUNNING KRUGER EFFECT: Read the following article carefully: J. Kruger, D. Dunning, “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-‐Assessments,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 77 (1999): 1121-‐1134. After reading the article answer the questions below: •Describe the Dunning-‐Kruger effect in the clearest and simplest terms you can. •What are the predictions that Dunning and Kruger make in their study? •What conclusion do they draw? •What lesson should careful thinkers learn from this research? -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ THE ILLUSION OF CONTROL: Read the following article carefully; “Illusion of Control,” by Martin Poulter. After reading the article answer the questions below: •What is the illusion of control? •How does it manifest in our lives? •Give examples. If you have the impression that some phenomena is under your control, how would you check to see if it really is?
