Chapter #6: Fallacies of Clarity

A subset of arguments that contain premises that do not "bear upon" the truth of the conclusions. In other words, they veer off topic.

• Fallacies of Relevance

• Fallacies of Presumption

• Fallacies of Clarity

Name the fallacy: "I hate opera music, but I really love sopranos singing in Italian with lots of heavy vibrato and drama about tragic love!"

• Equivocation

• Accent

• Distinction Without a Difference

Name the fallacy here: "The end of a thing is its perfection. Death is the end of life; therefore, death is life's perfection."

• Equivocation

• Accent

• Distinction Without a Difference

Which of the following is the FIRST question you need to ask yourself when you encounter an argument?

• Does this argument violate the principle of clarity?

• What is the issue at hand?

• Is this argument relevant to the issue at hand?

• Are there any unwarranted assumptions going on in this argument?

A subsection of arguments fail because they contain words, phrases, or syntax that distort of cloud their meanings.

• Fallacies of Relevance

• Fallacies of Presumption

• Fallacies of Clarity

Check ALL of the following that fall into the subset of Fallacies of Clarity.

• Equivocation

• Moderation

• Fallacy of Accent

• Distinction Without a Difference

• Fake Precision

Name the fallacy here: "I'm not a bad driver; I just get distracted when I'm changing songs on my iPhone."

• Equivocation

• Accent

• Distinction Without a Difference

Name the fallacy used on this billboard on Interstate 81: "Looking for a sign? Here it is!"

• Equivocation

• Accent

• Distinction Without a Difference

A subset of arguments which make unwarranted assumptions about either the data or the nature of a reasonable argument.

• Fallacies of Relevance

• Fallacies of Presumptions

• Fallacies of Clarity

Name the fallacy in this news story headline: "Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim."

• Equivocation

• Accent

• Distinction Without a Difference