PHI 108 Chapter 4: Informal Fallacies, Sections A-D
22 Jan 2019
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Formal fallacy - a logical error that occurs in the form or structure of an argument; it is restricted to deductive arguments. Informal fallacy - a mistake in reasoning that occurs in ordinary language and is different from an error in the form or structure of arguments. B) fallacies based on personal attacks or emotional appeals. Both the truth of a statement and the strength of an argument should be judged on objective grounds. We can reject a statement if we have credible, objective evidence that contradicts the claim. We can reject an argument if we base our criticism on logical analysis and truth value analysis. For example, the argument might be invalid (deductive) or weak (inductive). However, when an argument is rejected based solely on an attack against the person making the argument, not on the merits of the argument itself, then a fallacy occurs.
