Fallacy of amphiboly
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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!"?
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Attacking Faulty Reasoning, T. Damer