In your notes, based off your understanding of what the words “ego”, “socio-,” and “centric” mean, predict what the following words mean◦ 1. Egocentric◦ 2. Sociocentric

Warm Up 10/7/13

Humans often engage in irrational behavior. We fight. We start wars. We kill. We are self-destructive. We are petty and vindictive. We act out when we don’t get our way. We abuse our spouses. We neglect our children. We rationalize, project, and stereotype.

We act inconsistently, ignore relevant evidence, jump to conclusions, and say and believe things that don’t make good sense. We deceive ourselves in many ways.

We are our own worst enemy.

And yet we are capable of developing as rational persons, of living an ethical life, of contributing to the creation of a just and critical world.

Human egocentrism:the natural human tendency “to view everything within the world in relationship to oneself, to be self-centered” (Webster’s New World Dictionary); and

Human egocentricity is best understood as having two basic tendencies.

1. To see the world in self-serving terms, to constantly seek that which makes one feel good, that which one selfishly wants, at the expense of the rights and needs of others.

Human sociocentrism:

most simply conceptualized as group egocentricity. To define sociocentricity, we might take Webster’s definition of egocentricity, substituting group for self.

Definition: Sociocentric thinking is the natural human tendency to view everything within the world in relationship to one’s own group, to be group-centered.

Egocentric and sociocentric thought represents an enormous barrier to the development of the mind.

Fallacies Round 2

Definition The Appeal to Popularity has the following

form: ◦ Most people approve of X (have favorable

emotions towards X). ◦ Therefore X is true.

Arguing that a person’s claim must be true since most people believe in a claim, thus making it popular, it must be true

Appeal to Popularity- (Ad Populum)

Examples "My fellow Americans...there has been some talk that the

government is overstepping its bounds by allowing police to enter peoples' homes without the warrants traditionally required by the Constitution. However, these are dangerous times and dangerous times require appropriate actions. I have in my office thousands of letters from people who let me know, in no uncertain terms, that they heartily endorse the war against crime in these United States. Because of this overwhelming approval, it is evident that the police are doing the right thing."

"I read the other day that most people really like the new gun control laws. I was sort of suspicious of them, but I guess if most people like them, then they must be okay."

Appeal to Popularity- AKA -Ad Populum

Create your own example of an Appeal to Popularity fallacy.

Check for Understanding

Appeal to Tradition is a fallacy that occurs when it is assumed that something is better or correct simply because it is older, traditional, or "always has been done." This sort of "reasoning" has the following form: ◦ X is old or traditional ◦ Therefore X is correct or better.

Appeal to Tradition

Of course this mode of government is the best. We have had this government for over 200 years and no one has talked about changing it in all that time. So, it has got to be good.

A reporter is interviewing the head of a family that has been involved with a feud with another family. ◦ Reporter: "Mr. Hatfield, why are you still fighting it out with the Mcoys?“◦ Hatfield: "Well you see young man, my father feuded with the Mcoys and

his father feuded with them and so did my great grandfather." ◦ Reporter: "But why? What started all this?" ◦ Hatfield: "I don't rightly know. I'm sure it was the Mcoys who started it all,

though." ◦ Reporter: "If you don't know why you're fighting, why don't you just stop?“◦ Hatfield: "Stop? What are you crazy? This feud has been going on for

generations so I'm sure there is a darn good reason why it started. So I aim to keep it going. It has got to be the right thing to do. Hand me my shooting iron boy, I see one of those Mcoy skunks sneaking in the cornfield."

Appeal to Tradition- Examples

This fallacy assumes that the belief that one’s intentions are pure of heart and is often tied to begging the question/circular reasoning.

Begins with a belief of being especially pure and ethical.

A mistake may have been made, but it was with our best intentions in mind…

Assume a Posture of Righteousness

“I know I lied, but I only did it so I didn’t hurt your feelings." ◦ This allows a person to justify impure actions.

“American Exceptionalism” is an example. This is the idea that if America is doing something, then it must be inherently “right.”

Assume the posture of Righteousness

Paint your opponent and his/her actions negatively; paint yours positively.

This can easily be confused with double talk; the key in this fallacy is to understand that in demonizing his side, certain kinds of words will be used: ◦ tyranny, violence, subversion, plots, terrorism. In

sanitizing your own, such words might include: civilization, human rights, honor, God’ comfort, etc . . .

Demonize His Side, Sanitize Yours

Similar to mud-slinging; systematically using ‘good words’ for your cause and ‘bad’ to characterize the opponent.Playing up motives that sound good and appear high-minded “finding the good reason.”

Demonize His Side, Sanitize Yours

“I stand for the prosperity and success of Americans, while my opponent wants to oppress the American people with new taxes and punishments.”

Recruiter to parents of a potential football star:◦ “That coach at Ohio State just wants to use

players to improve his resume, while at Florida we aim to improve the lives of our students through education and athletics.”

Demonize His Side, Sanitize Yours Examples

Identify the examples on the back side of your worksheet

DOL

Dirty Trick #10Attack the Person (and not the argument)When a reasonable argument is made, the argument is ignored and the reasoner is directly attacked.Name calling-mud slinging-poisoning the well.

Attack the person

Dirty Trick #11Beg the QuestionAn attempt to prove a point by assuming it in the first place.The use of words or phrases that prejudge an issue by the way the issue is put.

Beg the Question

Dirty Trick #13Create a False Dilemma (the great either/or)Persuaded to believe there are only two, equally unsatisfactory choices, when in fact there are many possibilities available.

Create a False Dilemma

Dirty Trick #38Talk in Vague GeneralitiesAvoid being pinned down on any issue.Avoid the use of specifics that may cause actions to be questioned.Similar to DT #28- make sweeping generalizations.

Talk in Vague Generalities

Dirty Trick #43Throw In Some StatisticsImpress the audience with numbers, quoting statistics that are favorable.EVEN IF THE SOURCE IS QUESTIONABLE.

Throw In Some Statistics