http://ask.metafilter.com/tags/logicalfallacies Questions tagged with 'logicalfallacies' at Ask MetaFilter. Sat, 04 Feb 2006 11:27:23 -0800 Sat, 04 Feb 2006 11:27:23 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://ask.metafilter.com/32084/Name%2Dthis%2Dlogical%2Dfallacy Can you provide the name and/or good examples of this logical fallacy? Someone justifies illegal or improper behaviour on the grounds that virtually everybody violates this law in some way, so it should not apply to them. <br> Example: "I shouldn't be fined for speeding, since virtually everybody exceeds the speed limit without consequence." tag:ask.metafilter.com,2006:site.32084 Sat, 04 Feb 2006 11:27:23 -0800 fallacy law logic logicalfallacies logicalfallacy weapons-grade pandemonium http://ask.metafilter.com/12144/Does%2Danyone%2Din%2Dthe%2Dpublic%2Deye%2Duse%2Dcorrect%2Dlogic%2Din%2Darguments%2Danymore I have, per my Jesuit education, received too many logic courses. Many times I recognize people making the simplest of <a href="http://fallacyfiles.org/">logical fallacies</a>. Most often the slippery slope (if gays marry, then people will want to marry animals next) or the straw-man argument. I guess my question is, how valid is the medieval logic in our world today? I notice logical fallacies all over the op-ed and in everyday conversation to justify causes. I was beat over the head with the importance of using correct logic, but does it still hold validity? I've never seen the TV debates ever call each other out using logic. I'm not trying to ask a far out philosophical question, so more inside. I realize it is both impossible and not expected that everyone have an intimate knowledge of all logical fallacies, but I guess just because of how political the atmosphere has been around here and the media -- it begs the question if I'm the last person to have taken any logic courses. Seriously, has anyone seen someone in the media retort with "that's argument by consensus, a fallacy" or something similar? Maybe someone with news experience ever reject something based on illogical premises? Or is logic really not all it is said to be? I understand that most shows like "Crossfire" and columnists like Ann Coulter are mostly theater, but it would seem so easy to just shut them up by responding with simple logic. Why is this not done? tag:ask.metafilter.com,2004:site.12144 Wed, 24 Nov 2004 13:26:55 -0800 debates debating logic logicalfallacies reasoning geoff.