Logical Fallacies in The Crucible

Logical Fallacies in The Crucible

and Where to Find Them

DISCLAIMER

All of the bolded words included here are really known as logical fallacies, but I separated them based on intent

Take notes on the Logos, Pathos, Ethos document and/or in your book

ad hominem

“Such a Christian that will not come to church but once in a month!” (Act 3)

Example

Attacking the character of a person rather than addressing their argument

undermine ethos

Definition

Multiple Choice

Reverend Parris makes the following ad hominem attack against...

“Such a Christian that will not come to church but once in a month!” (Act 3).

• Abigail Williams

• Elizabeth Proctor

• John Proctor

• Giles Corey

argumentum ad metum
appeal to fear

“We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment” (Act 3).

Example

Using fear to persuade others of something, often without solid evidence​

prey on pathos

Definition

Multiple Choice

Why would Danforth say this? Choose the BEST answer based on his intentions (not Miller's)

“We burn a hot fire here; it melts down all concealment” (Act 3).

• Biblical allusion which makes the court seem more authoritative

• fiery imagery to evoke Hell and scare Proctor into silence

• Symbolic connection to the title of the play

• historical parallel to burning witches at the stake

ad populum bandwagon

TITUBA: "And I look - and there was Goody Good!"
...
ABIGAIL: "I saw Goody Good with the Devil..."

Example

Arguing something is true or right because many people believe it to be so.

ethos if the "people" are credible, pathos if it's FOMO

Definition

either/or false dilemma, false dichotomy or false choice

“You must understand, sir, that a person is either with this court or he must be counted against it, there be no road between” (Act 3)

Example

Presenting two options as the only possible outcomes, when others may exist

limit options, logos

Definition

Open Ended

If you were Proctor, how would you respond to this either/or (false choice) Danforth presents Proctor in Act 3?

DANFORTH: "...if I should tell you now that I will let [Elizabeth] be kept another month; and if she begin to show her natural signs, you shall have her living yet another year until she is delivered— what say you to that? John Proctor is struck silent. Come now. You say your only purpose is to save your wife. Good, then, she is saved at least this year, and a year is long. What say you, sir? It is done now. In conflict, Proctor glances at Francis and Giles. Will you drop this charge?"

tautology circular logic or begging the question

Danforth and the court assume that the accused are guilty of witchcraft simply because they have been accused. Accused? You're guilty. Deny it? You must have something to hide. Guilty.

Example

A type of argument where the conclusion is assumed in one of the premises

logos without true conclusions

Definition

hasty generalization

Early in the play, Betty and Ruth's mysterious illness leads the town to assume that witchcraft must be the cause.

GILES: Is she going to fly again? I hear she flies.

Example

Making a broad conclusion based on insufficient evidence

false conclusions, logos

Definition

no true Scotsman appeal to purity

John must not be a good Christian because he plows his fields on Sunday (Act 3).

example

Attempt to protect claim from a counterexample by covertly modifying the initial claim

A: "No Scotsman puts sugar in his porridge".
B: "But my friend Duncan likes sugar with his porridge".
A: "Yes, but no true Scotsman puts sugar in his porridge".

definition

slippery slope

Danforth conciliatory: You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.

Example

Arguing that a small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of related events, usually negative

false premises, logos

Definition

Multiple Choice

What kind of argument is most vulnerable to becoming a slippery slope?

Slippery Slope: Arguing that a small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of related events, usually negative

Danforth conciliatory: You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime. It is not just.

• deductive: each conclusion is the premise for another argument

• inductive: it starts from a false, general assumption

• deductive: it begins with an enthymeme, or an false assumption

• inductive: there are no premises and you jump to conclusions

appeal to authority

DANFORTH: "The pure in heart need no lawyers" (Act 3)

Example

claiming something is true because an authority figure says it rather than because of evidence

overemphasize ethos

Definition

post hoc ergo propter hoc
false cause or justification after the fact

RUTH PUTNAM: “I knew it! Goody Osburn were midwife to me three times... My babies always shriveled in her hands!” (Act 1)

Example

Assuming that because one event follows another, the first must have caused the second

out of order, logos

Definition

Drag and Drop

Match the following:



In a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy your ​

Placeholder

may be correct, or partially correct, while your ​

Placeholder

is/are fundamentally unsound.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

conclusions

reasoning

assumptions

hypotheses

evidence

red herring

When John Proctor tries to discredit Abigail by exposing their affair, she diverts attention from the accusation by feigning visions of spirits

Example

Introducing an irrelevant point to divert attention from the actual issue.

false evidence, logos

Definition

Multiple Choice

This genre of literature is known for its red herrings, often distracting readers from the truth with misleading clues.

• Mystery
• Science Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Romance

appeal to tradition
Bible/Constitution/law

The town's reliance on religious authority as the primary means of justice rather than basing their trial on logic and fact. This is one of the problems Miller cites in his paradox (6)

Example

Asserting that something is right or true simply because it has always been done that way.

similar to bandwagon

Definition

Multiple Choice

"The Salem tragedy, which is about to begin in these pages, developed from a paradox. It is a paradox in whose grip we still live, and there is no prospect yet that we will discover its resolution" (6-7)

What is a paradox?

• A paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement that may reveal a deeper truth.
• A paradox is a direct question with a single, unambiguous answer.

• A paradox is a type of figurative language where two things are compared by making them seem equal.

• A paradox, the opposite of an enthymeme, is an example of inductive reasoning.

straw man

WARREN, hysterically, pointing at Proctor, fearful of him...“I’ll murder you,” he says, “if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court,” he says! (Act 3)

Example

Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack

undermine ethos

Definition

fallacy of sincerity

HALE: Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning. let you rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her home. I know it.

Example

Just because a belief is “sincere or heartfelt” does not make it any more or less logical or ethical.

overemphasize pathos

Definition

forgiveness fallacy

DANFORTH: I think—for if [Hale] bring even one of these to God, that confession surely damns the others in the public eye, and none may doubt more that they are all linked to Hell. (Act 4)

Example

When in-group is accused, forgive them because only God can judge. When the out-group is accused, we must judge them because only God can forgive.

limit logos with false premises

Definition

Match

Match the following (part 1)

• ad hominem

• argumentum ad metrum (appeal to fear)

• ad popular (bandwagon)

• straw man argument

• slippery slope

Attacking the character of a person rath

Using fear to persuade others of somethi

Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack

Claiming that a relatively small first step leads to a chain of related events

Arguing that a small first step will ine

• Attacking the character of a person rath

• Using fear to persuade others of somethi

• Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack

• Claiming that a relatively small first step leads to a chain of related events

• Arguing that a small first step will ine

Match

Match the following (part 2)

• hasty generalization

• either/or (false dichotomy)

• post hoc ergo propter hoc (justification after the fact)

• red herring

• appeal to tradition

Making a broad conclusion based on insuf

Presenting two options as the only possi

Assuming a cause-and-effect relationship without evidence

Introducing an irrelevant distraction

It has always been done that way

• Making a broad conclusion based on insuf

• Presenting two options as the only possi

• Assuming a cause-and-effect relationship without evidence

• Introducing an irrelevant distraction

• It has always been done that way

Open Ended

Using any of the logical fallacies from today, explain one with an example from The Crucible. Use an example that has not already been discussed, paraphrase it, and explain which appeal it most closely relates to.