Expressing Fallacies

Fallacies

Cherry Picking

Bandwagon

Expressing faulty arguments

Ad Hominem Attack

Common Fallacies and Information Disorder

Appeal to Authority

Information disorder may cause emotions to flare up and push us to comment or argue using faulty arguments called FALLACIES. But, resorting to fallacies is as good as using gasoline to put out a fire, when trying to make a point. Click on the words to find out more.

Anecdotal

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Black or White

More Fallacies!

Ad Hominem Attack

When we attack the person instead of the ideas.

What is it?

• Remember that fallacies:

• Are flawed arguments
• Aim at persuading
• Can trigger emotional response
• Can trigger more fallacies
• Can be unintentional
• Can be expressed by anyone
• Can be found in real or virtual discussions, conversations and debates
• Can twist the truth to fit an author’s purpose

Ad Hominem means attacking the peson instead of their ideas. Too often people will insult the person who is delivering the information instead of the information itself. The problem is that sometimes the information can be true or useful, even if we don't like who is delivering it.

How can insulting people encourage information disorder?

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Bandwagon

Just because it's popular doesn't mean it's right or true.

What is it?

It means using a big group of people's opinion to show an argument is valid.When we rely on popularity to add validity to our arguments, it might just show that we don't have a lot of facts to support them. Just because "everybody says" or that many people like or dislike, doesn't mean that they are right. It just expresses a lot what a lot of people believe. If we want others to truly believe us, we need to have solid arguments based on facts.

• Remember that fallacies:

• Are flawed arguments
• Aim at persuading
• Can trigger emotional response
• Can trigger more fallacies
• Can be unintentional
• Can be expressed by anyone
• Can be found in real or virtual discussions, conversations and debates
• Can twist the truth to fit an author’s purpose

How can information disorder create a bandwagon effect?

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Cherry Picking

Only chosen evidence is used to support anargument.

What is it?

• Remember that fallacies:

• Are flawed arguments
• Aim at persuading
• Can trigger emotional response
• Can trigger more fallacies
• Can be unintentional
• Can be expressed by anyone
• Can be found in real or virtual discussions, conversations and debates
• Can twist the truth to fit an author’s purpose

It means choosing to reveal ONLY certain information without revealing information that would go against it. Just like picking the reddest cherries and ignoring the rest, cherry picking means impressing people using only selected information. This sort of one-sided information can automatically get people to think a certain way because there is no other information to consider.

How can information disorder be easily cherry picked when arguing?

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Anecdotal

Just because it happened to us, or a friend's cousin, doesn't mean it's the norm.

What is it?

• Remember that fallacies:

• Are flawed arguments
• Aim at persuading
• Can trigger emotional response
• Can trigger more fallacies
• Can be unintentional
• Can be expressed by anyone
• Can be found in real or virtual discussions, conversations and debates
• Can twist the truth to fit an author’s purpose

It means using an isolated event or story and treat it like it's the norm. Anecdotes can be powerful stories, but they are often isolated events that don't always mean a phenomenon is widespread, but when information disorder is concerned, sensational stories can be way more attracting than boring statistics or reality.

What role do anecdotes play in spreading information disorder?

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Appeal to Authority

Just because there is a figure of authority, doesn't mean it's legitimate information .

What is it?

• Remember that fallacies:

• Are flawed arguments
• Aim at persuading
• Can trigger emotional response
• Can trigger more fallacies
• Can be unintentional
• Can be expressed by anyone
• Can be found in real or virtual discussions, conversations and debates
• Can twist the truth to fit an author’s purpose

Appealing to authority means using the name or the image of someone to add credibility to the information or argument we share. We are culturally raised to respect certain figures almost without questioning what they say. An expert, a nice suit or lab coat, a celebrity or a university can all add credibility to information or an argument. But in some cases they might not even be real or they might never have expressed what's reported. It could be real, it could be bogus. We hould check it before we spread it!

How is this fallacy often used when arguing information disorder?

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Black or White

Given only 2 possibilities? Who says there aren't more?

What is it?

• Remember that fallacies:

• Are flawed arguments
• Aim at persuading
• Can trigger emotional response
• Can trigger more fallacies
• Can be unintentional
• Can be expressed by anyone
• Can be found in real or virtual discussions, conversations and debates
• Can twist the truth to fit an author’s purpose

This one is popular because it's very easy to remember: we only have two possibilities to choose from -hence the name: It's either black or white. Of course, information disorder loves polarization both in the way it is expressed or how people react.

What kind of reactions can this fallacy create? Give examples.

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More Fallacies

Unfortunately, there's a whole bunch more of them...

What?

That's right, unfortunately, faulty arguments are very popular and they contribute to our inability to confront our ideas in a constructive way.

Search for logical fallacies on your own. See how many others could help information disorder.

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