SSH 105 Chapter 4: Andrew Hunter (Winter 2016)

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Social Sciences and Humanities
• Course: SSH 105
• Professor: Andrew Hunter

Document Summary

Appeal to authority: relying on the opinion of a non-expert. Background information: well-supported beliefs that we rely on to inform our actions and choices. Expert: someone who is more knowledgeable in a particular subject area or field than most people are. Gambler"s fallacy: the error of thinking that previous events can affect the probabilities in the random event at hand. If a claim conflicts with other claims, we have good reason to accept, we have good grounds for doubting it. If a claim conflicts with expert opinion, we have good reason to doubt it: believing an expert in one field that is not necessarily an expert in another. Any opinions outside their field are no more authoritative than those of non-experts: regarding a non-expert as an expert. Example: celebrities or political, religious, tribal and cultural leaders. Must be able to assess relevant evidence and arguments and arrive at well-supported conclusions.