| False Dichotomy |
Article Index for False |
Website Links For False |
Information AboutFalse Dichotomy |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT FALSE DILEMMA | |
| logical fallacies | |
|
The false dilemma fallacy refers to misuse of the '' Or '' Operator . For another misuse of "or", see the False Choice fallacy. For misuse of the '' And '' operator, see Package-deal Fallacy . A false dilemma may not necessarily be limited to two choices; it may involve three possibilities, in which case it is known as a trifurcation, or more, in which case the dilemma may be more the result of accidental omission than deliberate intent. EXAMPLES :"Mark is late for work. Either his car has broken down, or he has overslept. We telephoned and learned he isn't at home, so his car must have broken down." This argument is a false dilemma, because there are many other reasons why Mark may have been late for work (he might have decided to quit his job unnannounced, he might have been arrested for traffic offences, and so on). If it were somehow proven that there were no other possibilities than those presented in the initial dichotomy, then the logic would be sound. But until then, the argument is fallacious. False dilemmas are also common in Politics . They are often hidden in Rhetorical Question s, and then become akin to the Fallacy Of Many Questions , as in: Will you re-elect the ruling party, or face nuclear holocaust? Are you with us, or with the forces of evil? ...or they can be done as statements of fact: My opponent voted against the public schools spending bill. He must think educating our children is not important. America - love it or leave it. You're either with us, or you are against us. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS In legal challenges in the context of the Creation-evolution Controversy in the United States , the dichotomy between Creationism and the theory of Evolution has been noted as another instance of false dilemma and also termed a contrived dualism. See, for example, the .”" SEE ALSO
|
|
|