User:PsychoNerd054/Logic

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This article will serve as a hub for the basics of logic, something that is essential to understand in order to perform proper research.

Essentials

Propositions

Propositions are either true or false.

Logical Fallacies

Ad Hominem

Ad Homniem (Latin for to the person) generally refers to making an argument based on one's character rather than their opinions or statements. Contrary to how the fallacy is usually understood, this isn't merely calling someone names or insulting them. It also doesn't necessary have to include these actions and actually comes in many different varieties. These include: Tu quoque, Guilt by Association, and Bulverism.

Given the type of community that surrounds Chris, one that mostly comprises of gossip and being critical of others, you are bound to find this fallacy pop up A LOT. Therefore, when making changes on this wiki, it is especially crucial to spot it when someone makes a claim about Chris or any of his orbiters.

Appeal to Authority (sometimes referred to as Argument from Authority) is when someone fallaciously uses an authority figure, regardless of their credibility or credentials, as support for their arguement.

Bandwagon

The Bandwagon fallacy (sometimes also referred to as Argumentem ad populum) is where the truth of something is assumed to be correct because many people do.

This fallacy can also go in the opposite extreme, where one assumes the exact opposite of a popular belief is true, simply because many people believe it.

Begging the Question

Begging the Question (also known as Circular Reasoning) assumes the truth and premise of an argument before its even been tested. It involves the one making their arguments assuming that their beliefs are entirely infallible, requires no changes, and that everyone else is wrong and requires no consideration. In fact, for the latter, this often times involves outright rejecting whatever arguments they make right off the bat, regardless of their validity. People can do this for a number of reasons, but most of it comes down to what is known as Confirmation Bias. This is a natural tendency in people to search for, interpret, or recall information that best supports their assumptions or values.

Cherry Picking, named after the practice of going through picked cherries to dispose of which ones are unripe or spoiled, is a specific case of this kind of bias, involving deliberately searching for evidence that fits one's assumptions while also putting aside all other available evidence, which often times disproves or weakens them. This can include suppressing evidence.

Anecdotal Evidence is based on personal stories or accounts.

Another form of this type of bias is No True Scotsman (more often known as Moving the Goalposts).

On a wider scale, when people come together to reinforce shared beliefs, this kind of bias is referred to as being in an "echo chamber".

Bothsiderism

Bothsiderism (sometimes called False Balance or simply the Balance Fallacy) is when someone assumes that the truth or solution to a problem lies somewhere between two different extremes, regardless of what actual evidence there is to support either.

Either/Or

The Either/Or fallacy (sometimes referred to as the False Dilemma or Black and White Reasoning) limits an argument to two options, ignoring all other alternatives and perspectives.

Resources

• Essentials of Logic - A pdf file of William Dinwiddie's Essentials of Logic, a resource that was used to produce this userpage.
• Master List of Fallacies - What I've listed in the "Logical Fallacies" section is only to make things as general and simple to understand as possible. Click on this link if you want to read a comprehensive list of possible fallacies.