How To Be Smart Ep. 2: Logic

We discuss logic and logical fallacies, corner stones to proper argument and proof.

Fallacies:
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0) ad hominem: attacking a person instead of their argument

stephen is ugly, so everything he says isn't true

1) hasty/sweeping generalization: using small amounts to assume things about a whole

Math is hard for me, so math must be hard for everyone.

2) argument from authority

The president likes basketball, so basketball must be the best sport

3) appeal to majority

85% of America is Christian, therefore Christianity is true.
- almost everyone used to believe the sun orbited the earth!

4) begging the question: assuming your conclusion is true before your start.

Murder is wrong, so assisted suicide is wrong
-first you have to prove murder is wrong

5) non sequitur, or false cause:

it rained today and I won the lottery, so rain must be lucky

6) straw man: misrepresent the other position

bill: grapes are good for you
bob: if we only ate grapes, all the farmers who produce other food would go out of business, so grapes are evil

7) equivocation: misusing a word

feathers weigh less than one pound, so they are light. light things can't be dark, so feathers aren't dark.
-light means two things: light in color or light in weight. the two aren't related


8) argument from ignorance: we don't know the answer, so we can assume one

I don't know where babies come from, so it must be a stork
-if you don't know, you can't assume. you must prove your conclusion!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• stephen
• smart
• logic
• intelligence
• intelligent
• how
• to
• debate
• knowledge
• darwin
• richard
• dawkins
• truth
• proof
• evidence
• yt:stretch=16:9

[xplorva]

Very good, thank you! Exactly what I was looking for.

[scjoiner]

@xplorva Thanks!

[hurricanerz]

Hi, I'm Rachel and I like the way you think about things, you also explain it very good. I myself am not so good at mathematics etc, well, I get it, but I work very very slowXD what do you advise? Thanks!

[scjoiner]

@hurricanerz Practice makes perfect, if you ask me. Don't get discouraged by failure, but instead try to learn from it.

[scjoiner]

@hazetubist I am very open-minded. I change my opinion on things thousands of times before I settle on the truth. A higher power is NEVER a valid interpretation of evidence until you can tell me where the higher power came from. I can look through any perspective (and I was devoutly religious for 14 years), but there is no truth to be found in religion, only more questions.

[ShootzObby]

To be honest Stephen, you have taught me more than my science teachers. My science teachers only tell me facts, not how to find them. They teach the scientific method, but with less detail than you have. Thank you.

[0NeverEver]

Steven I am sorry to say it, but you are talking bullshit.

You are definitly NOT ugly.

[SilexVerum]

Thank you for giving me some philosophical tools to counter arguments. My religious studies teacher made an argument to along the lines of we have good will because of God. I now know how to counter this argument - even though it is no use now ;) thanks anyway :)

[TheWhiteShadow42]

@ShootzObby That is one of the many flaws in our school system. Once you get to college, you won't have to worry about that.

[TheIphone4thewin]

1)The Bible was written thousands of years ago

2)Things written thousands of years ago combine myth and history

3)therefore the bible is a combination of myth and history.

Are you happy atheists? Just leave religions alone :/

[Felekin]

@hurricanerz

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill