– Answer 1

4 Fallacious Arguments to Avoid

THE TRIVIAL ARGUMENT

“In the rigid societies of Africa, children are always taught they should obey their parents and the authorities.”

In the United States, children are taught to obey their parents, flight personnel, policemen, their teachers, and so on, just like children in other parts of the world. In fact, children in almost all societies are taught to obey their parents and the authorities, so there is nothing special when people in Africa do the same thing.

“The Chinese government, always anxious to control private initiative, unified the currency and forbade private persons to mint money under pain of imprisonment!”

Again, any government today must control the minting of coins and cash or witness its economy fall to ruin. China is no different than the United States in punishing those who counterfeit money.

“Women often perform poorly on the SAT math section.”

Of course some women, Asians, white men, or anyone will perform poorly on SATs. This statement does not actually say that women generally perform more poorly than men, but this is implied and most people will draw that conclusion. Statements like this are especially deceptive because they merely insinuate and let the unwary reader draw the wrong conclusion. Taken literally, such a statement would be true of any group you choose because SOME people of any group will perform poorly on the SAT math section.

 

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