4.2: Fallacies (Part 4)

Fallacies (Part 4)

Appeal to Ignorance: An argument which concludes something on the basis of the fact that there is no proof either way, or nobody really knows.

"Alice stole the cookies. You've got no proof that anyone else did it!"

"The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

Division: Inferring that something is true about a thing's parts just because it is true of the whole.

"Central Park is beautiful. Therefore, every single part of Central Park is beautiful."

Composition: Inferring that something is true about a thing as a whole just because it is true of its parts.

"The table is composed of atoms, and the atoms are moving really fast. Therefore, the table is moving really fast."

Non Sequitur (Missing the Point): An argument in which the conclusion appears to be disconnected to or unsupported by the premises.

"All dogs are furry, and Fido is a dog. Therefore, it's probably going to rain tomorrow."