Common fallacies
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ShawnJ (talk | contribs) at 16:20, January 17, 2009. It may differ significantly from current revision.
Common fallacies are arguments that have a logical fallacy inherit in them, yet are still commonly accepted. These arguments persuade and fool people who:
- have difficulties with abstract thinking
- are young students, or are adults unwilling to reconsider opinions they formed as students
- exercise their free will to embrace fallacies without concern for whether they are flawed
Examples of common fallacies are:
- a theory should be accepted until a better alternative is found
- rates of recession or decay observed today are somehow constant for extrapolation backwards in time
- higher taxes must produce more revenue for the government
- fewer guns must reduce the rate of crime
- choice is somehow meaningful regardless of whether it is informed
- human thought can answer any question
(please add and improve)