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Category Archives: Rules of Logic
Don’t attack the straw men: Straw man fallacies and reductio ad absurdum fallacies
People love to argue. We all have views and opinions, and we tend to promote them prominently and viciously attack opposing ideas. There is nothing inherently wrong with that as long as your views are evidence-based and you use proper … Continue reading
Posted in Rules of Logic
Tagged anti vaccine arguments, Bad arguments, logical fallacies, rules of logic
11 Comments
Don’t tell people to “Google it.” That’s your job, not theirs
I spend a lot of time debating people on the internet, and, unsurprisingly, I frequently encounter people who make outlandish claims without providing any evidence to support those claims. In such situations, I typically ask them to present their sources, … Continue reading
Posted in Rules of Logic
Tagged argument from ignorance fallacies, burden of proof, logical fallacies, rules of logic
4 meaningless words: toxin, natural, organic, and GMO
News articles and blog posts are often full of buzzwords that are heavy on emotional impact but light on substance, and for scientific topics such as nutrition, health, medicine, and agriculture, four of the most common buzzwords are “toxins,” “natural,” … Continue reading
The nirvana fallacy: An imperfect solution is often better than no solution
In this post, I want to briefly explain and discuss a logical blunder known commonly as the “nirvana fallacy.” This fallacy occurs when you suggest either that a solution should not be used because it is imperfect or that a … Continue reading
Science doesn’t prove anything, and that’s a good thing
It is often the case that the most fundamental concepts in science are the ones that are the most misunderstood, and that is certainly true with the concept of “proof.” Many people accept the misconception that science is capable of … Continue reading
Posted in Nature of Science, Rules of Logic
Tagged Bad arguments, burden of proof, evaluating evidence, statistics
7 Comments
Dying the way that nature intended: Appeal to nature fallacies
The idea that nature has our best interest in mind is prevalent throughout the anti-science movement. For example, it is common to hear people say, “I’m not going to vaccinate, because I want my children to build immunity naturally, the … Continue reading
5 reasons why anecdotes are totally worthless
Personal anecdotes are often the primary ammunition of those who deny science. If you ask anyone in the alternative medicine or anti-vaccine movements for their evidence, you will almost certainly get flooded with anecdotes. A quick internet search will reveal … Continue reading