Question

...
Henry

Red Herring Fallacy?

I don't know if this is a fallacy or not, but I feel like it is. Would using the concept of being a "good person" as an argument be a fallacy?

Example:

Kate: Bryson punched me earlier today

Linda: I don't believe you. Bryson wouldn't harm a fly/Bryson is a good guy.

I feel like it might be a red herring or some other fallacy, but, again, I don't know.

asked on Friday, Sep 01, 2023 10:33:50 PM by Henry

Top Categories Suggested by Community

Comments

...
1
Nadir writes:

There's a number of fallacies that can be applied to this- if the argument is seen in negative form.

Because from the arguers perspective this is a fair assumption knowing Bryson wouldn't hurt a fly. But this is definitely not red herring as it doesn't divert to another topic.

 

posted on Wednesday, Sep 13, 2023 03:45:37 PM

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

Reason: Books I & II

This book is based on the first five years of The Dr. Bo Show, where Bo takes a critical thinking-, reason-, and science-based approach to issues that matter with the goal of educating and entertaining. Every chapter in the book explores a different aspect of reason by using a real-world issue or example.

Part one is about how science works even when the public thinks it doesn't. Part two will certainly ruffle some feathers by offering a reason- and science-based perspective on issues where political correctness has gone awry. Part three provides some data-driven advice for your health and well-being. Part four looks at human behavior and how we can better navigate our social worlds. In part five we put on our skeptical goggles and critically examine a few commonly-held beliefs. In the final section, we look at a few ways how we all can make the world a better place.

Get 20% off this book and all Bo's books*. Use the promotion code: websiteusers

* This is for the author's bookstore only. Applies to autographed hardcover, audiobook, and ebook.

Get the Book

Answers

...
Bo Bennett, PhD
4

There are definitely issues with the logic in Linda's response. However, it can be argued Linda is just expressing an opinion (but this doesn't excuse poor reasoning).  When she says "Bryson is a good guy," she's not actually addressing the issue at hand—whether or not Bryson punched Kate. Instead, she's diverting the conversation by bringing up Bryson's character. This could be considered a form of ad hominem (abusive) , but in reverse. Instead of attacking someone's character to discredit them, she's praising someone's character to shield them. This doesn't actually provide any evidence to counter Kate's claim non sequitur . Plus, being a "good guy" is subjective and doesn't mean someone is incapable of doing something harmful ambiguity fallacy . So, Linda's argument (even if just implied) isn't a strong one and could indeed be seen as fallacious.

answered on Saturday, Sep 02, 2023 08:06:06 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD

Bo Bennett, PhD Suggested These Categories

Comments

...
Petra Liverani
1

Another fallacy that can be applied is Argument from Incredulity.

Description: Concluding that because you can't or refuse to believe something, it must not be true, improbable, or the argument must be flawed. This is a specific form of the argument from ignorance.

Logical Form:
Person 1 makes a claim.
Person 2 cannot believe the claim.

Person 2 concludes, without any reason besides he or she cannot believe or refuses to believe it, that the claim is false or improbable.

answered on Saturday, Sep 02, 2023 08:46:25 PM by Petra Liverani

Petra Liverani Suggested These Categories

Comments

...
Petra Liverani
1

I'd suggest Hypothesis Contrary to Fact or argumentum ad speculum:

Description: Offering a poorly supported claim about what might have happened in the past or future, if (the hypothetical part) circumstances or conditions were different.  The fallacy also entails treating future hypothetical situations as if they are fact.

Logical Form:

If event X did happen, then event Y would have happened (based only on speculation).

Alternatively, event X couldn't have happened because Y.

While it might seem as though there is good reason for Bryson not to have punched Kate, the fact is he did.

Just to add:
A red herring fallacy is an attempt to redirect a conversation away from its original topic.

Linda is not trying to do that, she just finds it difficult to believe that Bryson would have punched Kate because of how she perceives him and it's not unreasonable for her to find it difficult to believe Bryson punched Kate if he really is the good guy he seems to be but, ultimately, assuming Kate is telling the truth, it makes no difference what kind of guy Bryson is, the fact is he punched her.

answered on Saturday, Sep 02, 2023 06:22:19 AM by Petra Liverani

Petra Liverani Suggested These Categories

Comments

...
0
Petra Liverani writes:

I must say I've never really liked the construal of the fallacy, Hypothesis Contrary to Fact. To me, what's important is not that it's contrary to fact but that the speaker knowingly ignores the facts and instead speculates according to what they think would or should have happened for reasons that may make perfect sense without the context of the facts but that the facts simply prove wrong so I would call it Speculation that ignores the facts .

So in the case above, as I intimated, Linda's speculation makes perfect sense according to her knowledge of Bryson, however, she must make the facts have priority over the kind of person she perceives Bryson to be (this is assuming that Kate is not lying or has not misinterpreted a playful light punch as a proper "punch").

I find people fall into the Hypothesis Contrary to Fact and Argument from Incredulity fallacies all the time. 

posted on Sunday, Sep 03, 2023 12:32:44 AM
...
David Blomstrom
-1

It doesn't sound like a fallacy at all to me. I see two possibilities . . .

1. Linda really believes that Bryson is a good guy who wouldn't hurt a fly.

2. Linda is lying.

answered on Saturday, Sep 02, 2023 07:34:22 AM by David Blomstrom

David Blomstrom Suggested These Categories

Comments

...
0
Petra Liverani writes:

But Kate could be lying too.

posted on Saturday, Sep 02, 2023 09:18:38 AM
...
0
David Blomstrom writes:

Yes, Kate could be lying. However, that wouldn't be a fallacy - unless Linda makes a fallacious argument out of Kate's lie.

posted on Saturday, Sep 02, 2023 09:28:00 AM