A fallacy is basically an error in logic -- you put together words that purport to prove some conclusion, but when looked at carefully the logic doesn't hold up. Personally I think spotting fallacies in a discussion or debate is both a good mental exercise and a lot of fun. Isn't it so much more satisfying to respond "That is a 'post hoc ergo propter hoc' fallacy!" rather than "Yah, well all you (some group) are poopyheads and eat babies!"
I almost want to put together a 'logical fallacies bingo' card for The Soap Box, to see how long it takes to fill. I don't have time at the moment, however here are a couple of places you can go to look up logical fallacies to see if other's posts here really hold up under scrutiny
Of course there is Wikipedia. An extensive list, defined quite formally:
This site focuses on the most common fallacies, with plenty of examples, and is generally written in more casual language:
And this one maybe strikes a nice balance of not being too flip but not being overly academic about it all
If I catch anyone properly calling out a fallacy, I promise I'll send some rep your way (although please understand that I likely won't read all posts, so might miss it. Feel free to PM me if you have one that you are especially pleased with).
I almost want to put together a 'logical fallacies bingo' card for The Soap Box, to see how long it takes to fill. I don't have time at the moment, however here are a couple of places you can go to look up logical fallacies to see if other's posts here really hold up under scrutiny
Of course there is Wikipedia. An extensive list, defined quite formally:
This site focuses on the most common fallacies, with plenty of examples, and is generally written in more casual language:
And this one maybe strikes a nice balance of not being too flip but not being overly academic about it all
If I catch anyone properly calling out a fallacy, I promise I'll send some rep your way (although please understand that I likely won't read all posts, so might miss it. Feel free to PM me if you have one that you are especially pleased with).
