Question

...
alex

Does invoking sophism in an argument be considered a logic fallacy ?

Can’t tell you how many arguments I’ve had that is over something objective. Does this medication work? Is god real? Any new age claim or paranormal claim. Once I back someone into a corner I get told the legendary “Everything is subjective”. Or the old Nietzsche quote of “Their are no facts”. I just replay with can you prove that?  What’s even the point of having a disagreement with someone if whenever you been pushed into a corner you just say in some sense that only you know your mind is sure to exist???? 

asked on Wednesday, May 04, 2022 12:27:23 PM by alex

Top Categories Suggested by Community

Comments

Want to get notified of all questions as they are asked? Update your mail preferences and turn on "Instant Notification."

Bo's Book Bundle

Get all EIGHT of Bo's printed books, all autographed*. Save over $50!

* This offer is for residents of United States and Canada only.

Get the Book Bundle

Answers

...
Bo Bennett, PhD
3

Most of the time, this is a failure to be an honest interlocutor. It is basically refusing to have a reasonable discussion. Other times, it is a person's cognitive dissonance kicking in, which is often a good thing. You may not think you are getting anywhere, but at some level, progress is being made. The key is to catch the person on special pleading . For example,

Person 1: Does medication X work? The vast majority of reputable studies seem to claim it does.

Person 2: No, it is a sham by the medical community.

Person 1: Where is the evidence for that?

Person 2: The evidence is being suppressed by Big Pharma and the Deep State. That's why there is none.

Person 1: How come they aren't suppressing the thousands of other non-pharmaceutical treatments studies in scientific journals?

Person 2: Because... Illuminati... Obama... (frustration)

People are stubborn, but for many, reason ultimately prevails. Don't give up.

 

answered on Wednesday, May 04, 2022 12:45:02 PM by Bo Bennett, PhD

Bo Bennett, PhD Suggested These Categories

Comments

...
0
Mchasewalker writes:

The examples do scream of Thought-terminating Cliché or with a stretch to appeal to possibility. I'm wondering with today's endless farrago of fallacies if there is An Appeal to Conspiracy Theory category?. or would that too be a special pleading?

We still don't know if  Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin.

9 11 was a false flag operation of the Bush Administration.

We know that certain movie stars and Democrats are running pedopile rings out of pizza delivery shops. :)

posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2022 02:57:46 PM
...
1
Bo Bennett, PhD writes:
[To Mchasewalker]

There is the conspiracy theory that is a fallacy in this context.

 

[ login to reply ] posted on Thursday, May 05, 2022 07:36:11 AM
...
Ed F
1

This seems to be a Thought Terminating Cliche; an attempt to divert.

answered on Wednesday, May 04, 2022 12:42:17 PM by Ed F

Ed F Suggested These Categories

Comments

...
TrappedPrior (RotE)
0

Subjectivist fallacy is another option, in addition to what Dr Bo already (accurately) said.

I like to call it "retreat into subjectivity" - a person is more than happy to argue a common reality up to a point, but past that point, they "retreat" by creating their own reality - a personal 'realm of truth' that's totally arbitrary, defined on their terms, and established such that they can never be wrong. They then assert a claim and deny all evidence to the contrary by constantly appealing to subjectivity, effectively substituting the common reality for their own.

It's akin to a chess player changing the rules because they are losing the game, and typically manifests when a person does not want to admit you have a point, or concede theirs (as Dr Bo put it, "failure to be an honest interlocutor").

 

answered on Wednesday, May 04, 2022 04:41:04 PM by TrappedPrior (RotE)

TrappedPrior (RotE) Suggested These Categories

Comments

...
Dr. Richard
0

The quick answer is that if everything is subject, then is the statement "everything is subjective."  It is internally contradictory.  I could write a lot more on this subject, but I have to run at the moment.

answered on Thursday, May 05, 2022 04:08:01 PM by Dr. Richard

Dr. Richard Suggested These Categories

Comments