search

Become an active member of our fallacy-discussing community (or just become a lurker!)

Inconsistency

(also known as: internal contradiction, logical inconsistency)

Description: In terms of a fallacious argument, two or more propositions are asserted that cannot both possibly be true.  In a more general sense, holding two or more views/beliefs that cannot all be true together.  Quotes from Yogi Berra (even if apocryphal) are great examples of fallacies, especially inconsistencies.

Logical Form:

Proposition 1 is logically inconsistent with proposition 2.
Proposition 1 and proposition 2 are both asserted or implied to be true.

Example #1:

"I never said most of the things I said." - Yogi Berra

Explanation: I know this requires no explanation, and I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but for consistency's sake, I will explain.  If he had said those things, then he said them, which is a contradiction to his claim that he never said them. This is both an internal inconsistency and a logical inconsistency. It is internal because the inconsistency is contained within the statement itself; it doesn't require any other premises or arguments.

Example #2:

"Nobody goes there anymore.  It's too crowded." - Yogi Berra

Explanation: Again, I apologize, but here it goes... If "nobody" went there, then it could not possibly be crowded, since "crowded" implies too many people are there. This is both an internal inconsistency and a logical inconsistency.

Exception: One needs to be able to explain how the beliefs are not inconsistent.

Tip: Think about your beliefs.  Are there any inconsistent with each other?  Any inconsistent with how you act and what you do?

References:

This a logical fallacy frequently used on the Internet. No academic sources could be found.

Questions about this fallacy? Ask our community!

Eat Meat... Or Don't.

Roughly 95% of Americans don’t appear to have an ethical problem with animals being killed for food, yet all of us would have a serious problem with humans being killed for food. What does an animal lack that a human has that justifies killing the animal for food but not the human?

As you start to list properties that the animal lacks to justify eating them, you begin to realize that some humans also lack those properties, yet we don’t eat those humans. Is this logical proof that killing and eating animals for food is immoral? Don’t put away your steak knife just yet.

In Eat Meat… Or Don’t, we examine the moral arguments for and against eating meat with both philosophical and scientific rigor. This book is not about pushing some ideological agenda; it’s ultimately a book about critical thinking.

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