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noblenutria@gmail.com

They all disagree so its all bunk

What if I said that the study of economics is pointless because everyone disagrees and therefore the whole subject is bunk?  This is bad reasoning but is it a fallacy?  Mathematicians agree that 2+2=4 but there is much less consensus over the best economic system.  Its easy to say that mixed economies are the best but I mean down to the granular level. 

Feminism is a good example because there are hundreds of different feminist ideas and many contradict one another.  I could make the argument that feminism is full of contradictory ideas and is therefore useless.  Some feminists believe that prostitution is fine and other feminists are opposed to all forms of prostitution.  Obviously the existence of disagreements among feminism, or among members of many different ideas, do not invalidate the idea as a whole, but if I did make that argument what logical rules am I breaking?

asked on Monday, Mar 07, 2022 10:30:48 PM by noblenutria@gmail.com

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Bo Bennett, PhD writes:

It reminds me of the argument to moderation - same reasoning flaw but different conclusion. I can't think of any specific fallacy besides the generic non sequitur , but I will leave this unanswered in case someone sees something I am missing.

posted on Tuesday, Mar 08, 2022 04:57:48 AM

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TrappedPrior (RotE)
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I think this counts as inflation of conflict. Because experts can't precisely agree on a given matter in their field, the issue cannot be discussed meaningfully at all, or - more fallaciously - the entire field is bogus.

It's a form of black-and-white thinking. Either experts agree on X, and so the topic is meaningful, or they can't agree on X and so we should just give up. This is, of course, nonsense. Expert disagreement can lead to debate which furthers human knowledge on the issue. It can also lead us closer to a correct answer by eliminating improbable interpretations.

answered on Tuesday, Mar 08, 2022 07:19:26 AM by TrappedPrior (RotE)

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Mchasewalker
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1. Legalizing prostitution is a central tenet of modern-day feminism

2. Prostitution is both exploitative and a tool of the oppressive patriarchy

Therefore, one cannot be a true feminist and advocate for prostitution.

Opinion, no fallacy.

 

1. Feminism promotes and supports a woman's autonomy over her own body.

2. Prostitution is a woman's choice

Therefore every feminist should advocate for prostitution whether they approve of it or not. 

Same thing: opinion, no harm no foul

1. Feminism is the political and social pursuit of female freedom, independence, and constitutionally guaranteed right to the pursuit of happiness.

2. Abortion, prostitution, transgenderism, and lesbianism are all facets of a woman's right to pursue her own sexual identity.

Therefore, it is every feminist's responsibility to advocate for women's individual rights regardless of personal belief. 

1. Feminism is the social and political advocacy for women's rights.

2. Feminism supports the legalization of prostitution

Therefore feminism is just another tool of patriarchal domination of women.

Hasty generalization? 

 

answered on Tuesday, Mar 08, 2022 01:32:35 PM by Mchasewalker

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