Fallacy fallacy

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Revision as of 21:15, 18 April 2010

The fallacy fallacy, or argumentum ad Logicam, is the logical fallacy that if an argument contains a logical fallacy the proposition is wrong.[1] It has the following calculus:

Argument A supports the proposition P
Argument A contains a logical fallacy.
Therefore, P is false

Contents

Usage

Correct usage

The fallacy fallacy is not fallacious and is perfectly valid when all possible arguments for a proposition are fallacious - indeed showing that all propositions are fallacies or somehow wrong is the way to disprove something, barring the proposition being unprovable, of course.

However, due to the likely large number of arguments and fallacious arguments (from someone attempting a Gish gallop, for instance) in support of a proposition P, it would be easier to prove not P than to go about disproving P.

Prevalence

This fallacy's use is staggeringly common during internet debates, where pseudo-intellectualism reigns supreme. A person will seek out and attack any logical fallacy you use and dismiss your argument out of hand, without ever addressing the proposition.

See also

Footnotes

  1. Fallacy Files: Fallacy fallacy
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