Slippery Slope Logical Fallacy

The slippery slope logical fallacy is the most interesting to me.


http://static.abcteach.com/content_preview/p/poster_fallacy_slipperyslope_p.png

People make assumptions and often exaggerate outcomes based on their beliefs. I feel like slippery slope fallacies are often born out of fear. People fear that a certain politician coming into power will lead to the country falling apart. People are afraid that going to war will turn into a nuclear winter.

Another slippery slope fallacy I thought about is people who research certain symptoms online to try and diagnose themselves. Someone will have a headache, go on Web M.D., and end up believing they have brain cancer and are going to die.

Slippery slope fallacies are dangerous because they often times end up believing the worst possible outcome will occur without any solid proof to back up their assumption.

Metaphors in Poetry

Metaphors are used a lot in poetry to provide an abstract description of something. I think metaphors are interesting because they show how two things that seem to be very different actually connect. Metaphors are also a way of expressing deeper meaning and they add an element of beauty to writing.

A found a great website about metaphors that states, “Because poems are meant to impart often complex images and feelings to a reader, metaphors often state the comparisons most poignantly.”

The website also provides great examples of metaphors and explains their meanings.

The website can be found here: http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-metaphors-in-poems.html

I love metaphors because they are almost like puzzles - you have to work to decode their meaning since it is not obvious. I feel like philosophers would also like metaphors since they take analytic thought and make people question what the truth of the statement is.

The Fallacy of Amphiboly

The fallacy of amphiboly is, like the fallacy of equivocation, a fallacy of ambiguity, but here the ambiguity is due to indeterminate syntactic structure. In the argument:

The police were told to stop drinking on campus after midnight.
So, now they are able to respond to emergencies much better than before.

there are several interpretations that can be given to the premise because it is grammatically ambiguous. On one reading it can be taken to mean that it is the police who have been drinking and are now to stop it; this makes for a plausible argument. On another reading what was meant is that the police were told to stop others (e.g., students) from drinking after midnight. If that is the sense in which the premise is intended, then the argument can be said to be a fallacy because despite initial appearances, it affords no support for the conclusion.

Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/fallacies/#CorFal

This was really interesting to me. I initially read and understood the passage as the police were the ones who needed to stop consuming the drinks after midnight, and therefore, they would be better able to respond to emergencies. I didn't realize that it could have been understood as the police needed to go patrolling and stop other people from drinking after midnight. So that instead of having to respond to a lot of incidents involving drunken people on campus, they can focus on other emergencies that may arise. Very interesting. How did yall interpret the passage?

Sabrina Oakes

The Fallacy of Equivocation

craigssenseofwonder.wordpress.com

The fallacy of equivocation occurs when a vague statement is used many times during an argument but has different meaning each time. For example, the fallacy above says that noisy children are a "headache", which is our vague statement. Our vague statement comes up again when it is said that aspirin will make a "headache" go away. It is fallacious to equate these two terms to each other because they were used in different contexts. The first context is metaphorical and uses the term headache to describe how difficult noisy children can be; the second is more literal, referring to a physical ache.

Hansen, Hans. "Fallacies." Stanford University. Stanford University, 29 May 2015. Web. 07 July 2016.

Slippery Slope Examples

The Slippery Slope is the idea that when something happens another event will occur due to the previous one. It is a chain reaction and really no explanation as to why it happens. The Nizkor Project has a good idea to the explanation of what the Slippery Slope equation looks like, "This "argument" has the following form: 
1. Event X has occurred (or will or might occur). 
2. Therefore event Y will inevitably happen."
It is interesting to think about how something happens because of something else. There are a lot of examples in life that can agree with this idea. Some of the examples I found it does not make sense as to why these events happen because of something else. I believe this comic is a good example because it shows how by doing one thing it prevents bad things from happening. The Slippery Slope can be thought of as something you do to avoid other things. A lot of the examples can be negative, but there can also be positive ideas as well.  

Links:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/slippery-slope.html
http://pactiss.org/2008/09/09/slippery-slope-cartoon/ 

Slippery Slope

An example of a slippery slope fallacy is a supervisor at a company wants to let his employees personalize their work space, and be able to use the internet for certain research and on their breaks.  But, the owner of the company says, "no way."  She believes that if she lets them put up pictures of family then eventually inappropriate pictures will be hung on the wall and harassment lawsuits will be filed.  She also says that the company will fold if employees are allowed to have internet access because their productivity will go down and the company will suffer.  These are large leaps to take from the initial requests from the supervisor.

http://study.com/academy/lesson/slippery-slope-fallacy-definition-examples.html

Logical Fallacies in advertising

Through researching logical fallacies I realized that in today's society, logical fallacies are everywhere. I decided to research logical fallacies in advertisements because it shows how we are influenced by these logical fallacies on a daily basis.
Slippery slope:

 

Allstate teenage girl commercial:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtP-S9OS0o0

This is slippery slope because the driver is a teenage girl it will inevitably lead to a car accident.
Appeal to celebrity:
 
Drake supporting sprite:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nBxcMImubk
Commericals use celebrities constantly based on the logical fallacy that if a celebrity uses a product, you should too.

Commercials use a variety of logical fallacies which we as consumers can uncover to not get influenced in buying a product based on a fallacy.

Fallacies

The Purdue OWL has some fantastic examples of fallacies. One category of those are Ignorantio Elenchi fallacies, or Irrelevant Conclusions. A subtype of this is the Straw Man fallacy, which oversimplifies the opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow view. For example,

People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage hate the poor. 

I competed in collegiate policy debate my first semester of college and this was absolutely the most frustrating sort of argumentation, because an effective straw man makes the opponent look ignorant if they are unable to recognize the fallacy and combat it. The name of the fallacy explains why it is so frustrating to be a victim of this false logic. A professor from Carson-Newman University explained it this way: the straw man comes from the idea of a boxer fashioning an opponent out of straw and then easily knocking it over in the ring before a cheering audience. His victory; of course, "is a hollow mockery, because the straw-stuffed opponent is incapable of fighting back". An opponent who uses this kind of logic can have the same effect, making you feel like a straw person with no ability to fight back. Like this comic illustrates, no matter what side of an argument you present in the face of a straw man you are wrong, and stupid to boot.

Comic from http://stripgenerator.com/strip/589005/click-clack-straw-man/

New Blog Topic

Thank you all for your thoughtful and interesting contributions to the previous blog topic. I found it very interesting, and I learned a lot!

If you have more to post on the previous topic, or if you've not posted yet, you still can, anytime. Consider that topic an open one...

Meanwhile, let's take up a new topic. We will soon turn our attention to logic, and along with it, the question of a type of argument known as a "logical fallacy." A logical fallacy is an argument that might be true, or it might not be...or it might, or not...but the argument does not present enough information to decide whether it's true or false, BUT the argument is persuasive.

We will study some of these logical fallacies in the next week or two. They include arguments like the argumentum ad absurdum - an argument used by both Socrates (or Plato, at least) and Zeno (the disciple of Parmenides). Another fallacy is the slippery slope argument: this event will lead to this next event, which will lead to this next event, and then APOCALYPSE! In both fallacies just mentioned, the problem is that it might be true, or it might not be true, but we don't have enough evidence to decide one way or another. In the case of an argumentum ad absurdum, the one absurd consequence that results from the argument or definition does not prove that all consequences are absurd. To make the stronger claim (that the definition or argument is absurd), we need more evidence. Likewise, in a slippery slope argument, it might be that 'A' will lead to 'B', and 'B' to 'C,' and so forth, but it might not, therefore, we need more information.

Okay, enough theory. I want you to "research" a bit about logical fallacies, and then post some examples of the fallacies you find. Wikipedia is a (bad) starting point, but I recommend using the Stanford Online Encyclopedia of Philosophy, or the Online Encyclopedia of Philosophy (from the University of Tennessee, I believe). If you need other sources, please let me know.

One more 'hint': there are a number of books of fallacies, including Jeremy Bentham's Handbook of Political Fallacies. Feel free to be creative. I recently encountered a fallacy I didn't know the name of (never heard of it before). In a text I was reading, the author presented a metaphor for something in one paragraph, and in the next paragraph, took the metaphor as if it was fact. I don't even know what that fallacy is called, yet.

Rhetoric = the art of persuasion.
Persuasion can be used to convince people of the true or the false.
Therefore, it can be used by unscrupulous people for their purposes.
But remember, rhetoric, like fallacies, might be true, or not...or....

Metaphors for life

Metaphors are powerful because they help us put things into a expanded perspective. I noticed that Socrates constantly uses metaphors so that abstract concepts can be put into more simple comparisons. I decided to search for metaphors for life because life is an enormous concept that can be simplified or defined through metaphors.
Here are some examples: 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwizrvPalMnNAhXi1IMKHV5NAl8QjRwIBw&url=%2Furl%3Fsa%3Di%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dimages%26cd%3D%26cad%3Drja%26uact%3D8%26ved%3D0ahUKEwjA08_VlMnNAhUIzoMKHVbABY8QjRwIBw%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.pinterest.com%252Falisonrbcm%252Fmetaphors-for-life%252F%26psig%3DAFQjCNEC14HLodMCgqmwIOs5yI0iC5w28g%26ust%3D1467149605685879&psig=AFQjCNEC14HLodMCgqmwIOs5yI0iC5w28g&ust=1467149605685879

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjs2szrlMnNAhWj64MKHfQ0ACkQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quora.com%2FWhat-do-you-think-is-the-best-metaphor-of-life&psig=AFQjCNEC14HLodMCgqmwIOs5yI0iC5w28g&ust=1467149605685879
   https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiV9Ln4lMnNAhWq7IMKHc6kAI8QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F181340322470693146%2F&psig=AFQjCNEC14HLodMCgqmwIOs5yI0iC5w28g&ust=1467149605685879

In addition I found this picture which explains metaphors and I think it is very relevant:

http://www.passionatelifeconsulting.com/uploads/1/2/2/6/12266291/2214615.png?576http://www.passionatelifeconsulting.com/uploads/1/2/2/6/12266291/2214615.png?576

Parables

A parable is a very useful way of conveying meaning. It is similar to an allegory, though it is undergirded by a specific message or call to action. The image above depicts the message of the parable of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22. 
Jesus frequently used parables in his teaching, many of which were confusing and left the hearers feeling bewildered and unsure what was being communicated. When asked by his disciples why he taught in parables, his answer was that he wasn't trying to hide the message from them, it was that their hearts weren't ready to receive or understand. Once someone had accepted the source of the teachings (Jesus himself) their ears and eyes were opened to understand the message he brought (like the disciples). This truth can be cross applied to a variety of different meanings - without the willingness to understand metaphors, allegories, and models; we will remain stuck in our own preconceived notions and never expand our minds to larger horizons.
Image from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsHTvUo8k0Q.

Consciousness

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christof_Koch

http://www.klab.caltech.edu/koch/

Christof Koch is a neuroscientist who studied the neural bases of consciousness.  He wanted to study the brain and human consciousness and how we see what we see through our nerve cells and learn to identify something through our nerve cells.  He believed that a computer properly programmed to copy the connections of the human brain could itself be consciousness.
When I saw this model it made me think of the Matrix/Allegory of the Cave as we've been discussing what we see and how we perceive it and make it real to us.  Our senses see something and that is what we believe it is.

As a kid, I loved The Wizard of Oz because I liked talking lions. It's a classic tale of a protagonist trying to find her way home, meeting wacky side characters who are also looking for meaning, and cackling witches trying to thwart their progress.


As an adult, I love The Wizard of Oz because I like macroeconomics. As it turns out, L. Frank Baum's iconic tale isn't a superficial story of a girl caught in a tornado. It's an allegory for the US's debates over whether or not to stay on the gold standard. However, those debates were long, confusing, and quite frankly boring. The allegory (like all allegories) served to simplify a complex issue and make it more entertaining and relatable. It's a lot less arduous to read or watch The Wizard of Oz than to research American political discussions of the early 1900s, and a lot more entertaining!

Scientific Model

http://www.psychstat.missouristate.edu/introbook/sbk04.htm
In my opinion this model shows a physical relationship between the so called "real world" and the so called "real world results". I thought this was even more interesting considering The Matrix and the Allegory of the Cave contemplate what is the real world. Scientific models are scientifically proven, so there must be evidence, a conclusion, data, ect;

Marissa's examples of Metaphors and Models/ why metaphors help us communicate

 

http://blog.sqlauthority.com/2012/09/28/sql-server-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-a-collection-of-inspiring-and-funny-posts-by-vinod-kumar/ 

This can be considered a metaphor because a picture cannot be traded for the value of a thousand words. This is just an idea that a painting can tell different stories, the painting itself is a story, not just a bunch of words. 

http://qz.com/505664/video-an-awe-inspiring-model-of-our-solar-system-built-to-scale/

This can be a model of the solar system. It allows us to understand what the solar system is and how it is set up. A model is used to help us understand facts, since this model shows our solar system we can learn the order of the planets based on their distance from the sun. 

I believe metaphors can be used to help understand bigger concepts because understand something small is easier. By comparing things we are allowed to image something we know very well then compare it to something confusing. Metaphors also help us understand the conditions of others. When we want to explain our feeling we can use metaphors to help explain to others. Such as, my heart hurt as if I was getting 5 shots. Usually everyone knows what shots feel like, painful. So in this case we learn that the heart was in pain due to the comparison. The idea of a small shot is really something bigger, someone going through a heartbreak. With metaphors communication becomes not only easier, but more fun as well.   

Why Metaphors Help Us Communicate

Metaphors are helpful in communication because they help us paint mental pictures. Comparisons in the forms of similes are especially good for this. Jeremy ran as fast as a cheetah. The dog was as still as a statue. Both these examples give emphasis to the action of the person/animal. Jeremy’s running is emphasized and the dog’s stillness is emphasized. Even though it is not possible that Jeremy could actually run as fast as a cheetah and that the dog could stay as still as a statue for an extended amount of time, it wouldn’t paint the same picture in your mind if I said that Jeremy ran really fast and the dog was really still. 

Sabrina

Sabrina's Examples of a Metaphor and Metaphysics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/z3y82hv/revision/2

This would be a metaphor because Juliet isn't really the sun. Her beauty is being compared to that of the suns.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGZiLMGdCE0

This screenshot from the movie The Matrix would represent metaphysics because there is the question of being. Neo asks Morpheus if the construct program and/or the chair is real and Morpheus responds with "What is real?" and goes on to say that if what you sense is real, then "real" is just "electrical signals interpreted by your brain". Existence, being, space, time, and possibility are all metaphysical ideas of this scene as well as the whole movie.

Comments welcome. :)

-Sabrina

I know the idea of different kinds of meanings seems abstract at first, but these different kinds of meanings are actually things we live with all the time. In addition, we are often very aware of the different kinds of meaning.

For example, if you were in a psychology class, and you had to do a statistical analysis of a certain population of people, you would probably have to provide a list of the participants, and some of their basic characteristics: "Sheila, Age 54, medical doctor, 2 children, non-smoker," that sort of thing. What if, instead, you wrote: "Sheila, Age 54, whose eyes are like limpid pools of azure, and whose hair shines like glistening wheat in the wind"? (Aside from getting your poetry license revoked, that is.) Wouldn't your professor wonder why you are being so "poetic" or "metaphorical," and why you don't stick to "the facts"?

Plato's Cave Allegory is an allegory, an extended metaphor. Each part of the allegory refers to something other than itself. For example, the prisoners represent human society (in its addiction to sensory appearances and opinions based on these appearances). However, if a word or concept does not refer to the actual thing it is supposed to refers, but to something else, isn't that an inaccurate word or concept? Or perhaps a lie?

On the other hand, don't non-literal forms of meaning - such as metaphor and allegory - help us in other ways? Can you think of some ways that non-literal forms of speech and thought are useful, or important, even though they are not factual?

  Here are a couple of examples of models. I think flow charts would also fall into this category. But here is the point: what should be included in the category of "model"? Sometimes the relationship between a model and an example, or an experiment, is not clear.

http://www.insightconflictresolution.org/blog

http://lonergan.org/?author=81

Please search the internet for examples of models, metaphors (any kind of non-literal speech), experiments, etc. Post them here, with a link to their source. (Please note: the source website might not be useful, or appropriate, or whatever - but we need to link to the source website, just to respect copyright.) Make some comments about whether your example is an example, a model, a metaphor, an experiment, or something else.

Examples, Models, Metaphors, Experiments, and Metaphysics

Examples, Models, Metaphors, Experiments, and Metaphysics

In our first set of blog posts, we are going to focus on the different kinds of meaning, and of generating meaning.

The title lists five different, very general, categories of meanings. What we are going to do here is search the internet for examples of these types of meaning, and then examine what kind of meaning they provide.

We use examples all the time. They can be elicited or indicated in a variety of ways. I might say to you, "for example" or "show me" or "really?" (Here, I just gave you an example of what an example is.) Sometimes, examples are indicated by the abbreviation "e.g.", which means "exempli gratia," Latin for "provide an example please."

Models are a special kind of example, that show how a state of affairs is or works. When Galileo Galilei dropped weighted balls from the Tower of Pisa (in order to demonstrate his theory about the relationship of mass and acceleration), he was providing a model of that theory. As we will see later in the semester, Descartes' argument about the wax (or honeycomb) is another classic model. A model presents a physical representation of an abstract theory.

Metaphors are abstract in a different way. Also, there are many forms of metaphors: similes, allegories, typologies, allegories, personifications, anthropomorphisms, symbols, and others. These are non-literal forms of speech, in which the thing being talked about represents something other than itself. Plato's Cave and The Matrix are both allegories - stories that are not about the plot of the story. Rather, the plot and characters mean something else (no spoiler here - I won't give away their meanings yet).

Experiments are like models, except that the model demonstrates a theory, while an experiment tests a theory. In the first case, the model shows something that is a fait accompli - already established. The experiment is based on a hypothesis that such-and-such is the state of affairs. The experiment is undertaken in order to prove this to be the case (or not). The attempts of astronomers in the 1930's and 40's to get photographic evidence from a full solar eclipse to prove Einstein's relativity theory were experiments. The fact that they did not follow the "experimental model" is due to the nature of meaning in astronomy - what passes for "proof" in astronomy is not the same as what passes for "proof" in other sciences (an important point!).

Metaphysics is the study, not of individual objects, but of categories of objects, and especially the most general categories. The most important topic of metaphysics, therefore, is also the most general topic - Being. Being is the most general topic, because it is the one meaning that all things that can be thought have in common. If they can be thought, they have being (to that extent). Metaphysics (and ontology) study Being - the ways things are. To study the way things are, is to study the meaning of things. To study the meaning of things, we also have to study how we know (or access) that meaning. The study of how we know what we know is called "epistemology" (theory or study of knowledge).

Sorry for the long intro, but this is a difficult topic. Please look at my next post for examples of the kinds of posts I'm looking for.