PHIL1110 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Ad Hominem, Confirmation Bias, False Dilemma
Arguments
• Propositions and a conclusion
• Can be asserted or denied
• Deductive – where the premises force the conclusion to be true
• Inductive – where the likelihood of the conclusion is known (never certain)
Kinds of Reasoning
• System 1 – Quick with shortcuts in thinking (is prone to heuristic biases)
• System 2 – Deliberate, conscious thinking (is slow)
Heuristic Biases
• Representativeness – Like goes with like or stereotyping
• Availability – Using the first information that comes to mind (being asked your
favourite ovie ad ca’t thik of ay)
• Anchoring Adjustment – occurs when an individual makes new decisions based on
the old, anchor number
Confirmation Bias – Not looking for disparaging information to a preconceived notion, only
searching for information to confirm your ideas
Persuasion Techniques
• Asking Questions
• Contrast Principle
• Message Repetition
• Scarcity
• Jargon/statistics
• Disrupt/reframe
• Social consensus
Fallacies
• Question begging – assumes the statement under examination to be true. In other
words, using a premise to support itself.
• Equivocation – when a key term or phrase in an argument is used in an ambiguous
way, with one meaning in one portion of the argument and then another meaning in
another portion of the argument.
• Strawman – giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually
refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.
• Ad Hominem – attacking the person rather than the argument
• False dilemma – arguing over only two options when in actual fact there are far
more
• Gamblers fallacy – the mistaken belief that, if something happens more frequently
than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future
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Document Summary
Arguments: propositions and a conclusion, can be asserted or denied, deductive where the premises force the conclusion to be true. Inductive where the likelihood of the conclusion is known (never certain) Kinds of reasoning: system 1 quick with shortcuts in thinking (is prone to heuristic biases, system 2 deliberate, conscious thinking (is slow) Confirmation bias not looking for disparaging information to a preconceived notion, only searching for information to confirm your ideas. Persuasion techniques: asking questions, contrast principle, message repetition, scarcity. Fallacies: question begging assumes the statement under examination to be true.
