Fallacy of amphiboly

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The sentence "I'm going to feed my baby turtles" can be interpreted in multiple ways, making it ambiguous. Instead, the structure "I'm going to feed turtles to my baby" is unambiguous.

The fallacy of amphiboly occurs when a sentence, because of its grammar, structure, or punctuation, can be interpreted in multiple ways.

It is an informal fallacy and a fallacy of ambiguity, in that it removes context that is necessary to understand the statement.

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[edit] Examples

  • "The anthropologists went to a remote area and took photographs of some native women, but they weren't developed." (from Marilyn vos Savant)[1]
    Were the photographs or the women undeveloped?
  • "Last night I caught a prowler in my pyjamas."[1]
    Did the speaker (1) find a prowler who was wearing their pyjamas, (2) find a prowler while the speaker was wearing their pyjamas, or (3) find a prowler who was stealing the speaker's pyjamas?
  • "Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help."[1]
    Does the Church help reduce worry, or kill people?
  • "Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.[1]
    Did the older singers or the older clothes deteriorate?
  • For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs."[1]
    Is the "don't know it" talking about having children or the existence of the nursery?
  • "Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons."[1]
    Does Barbara need Pastor Jack's sermons because they put her to sleep, or requesting them out of piety?
  • "I am opposed to taxes which slow economic growth."[1]
    Is the speaker opposed to all taxes, because they slow economic growth, or just taxes that slow economic growth?
  • "John told Henry that he had made a mistake. It follows that John has at least the courage to admit his own mistakes."[1]
    John told Henry that who had made a mistake?
  • "The Duke yet lives that Henry shall depose." (Henry VI, Part II; Act 1, Scene 4)[1]
    Does there live a duke whom Henry shall depose, or does there live a duke who shall depose Henry?
  • The Oracle of Delphi told Croesus "that if he led an army against the Persians, he would destroy a great empire." The question, of course, is which empire -- Croesus' or the Persians'. Croesus, optimist, was soon empireless.[1]
  • they said outright lies[2]
    Did they say lies, or angrily say "Lies!"?

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[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

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