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Logical Fallacies

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Running head: LOGICAL FALLACIES: FALSE DILEMMA 1
Logical fallacies: False dilemma
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LOGICAL FALLACIES: FALSE DILEMMA 2
Writers often find their work laden with deliberate or desultory incomplete or
inconclusive arguments resulting from flawed thinking. Such pieces usually lack logical flow
and are therefore referred to as having logical fallacies. A logical fallacy is a way of reasoning
which is erroneous. Typical examples of logical fallacies are appeals to fear, authority and pity,
equivocation, double standards and hasty generalizations (Cooper, 1997).
False dilemma, also known as polarization or the fallacy of false alternatives is a logical
fallacy where two extremes are given as the only two choices. No acknowledgment is given to
possible middle ground or consideration for other options (Rudinow, 2008). An ‘either-or
situation is presented when in reality other alternatives are available.
I find false dilemma an interesting fallacy since it attempts to limit the reader’s or
intended targets options and could be potentially used as a manipulative tool. Leading a person
to believe they have limited choices would lead them to pick an option that they most likely
would not have considered had they had all alternatives made known to them. The most common
example of this fallacy is the American leave it or love itslogan that was used during the
Vietnam War. The implication was that every citizen was either in support of the war or not
American. The option of not being against the war was overlooked.
To write good pieces, it is vital that writers ensure their ideas and arguments flow
logically. It is therefore essential that they study and understand logical fallacies to avoid such
errors in their work.

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Running head: LOGICAL FALLACIES: FALSE DILEMMA Logical fallacies: False dilemma Name: Institution: 1 LOGICAL FALLACIES: FALSE DILEMMA 2 Writers often find their work laden with deliberate or desultory incomplete or inconclusive arguments resulting from flawed thinking. Such pieces usually lack ‘logical flow’ and are therefore referred to as having logical fallacies. A logical fallacy is a way of reasoning which is erroneous. Typical examples of logical fallacies are appeals to fear, authority and pity, equivocation, double standards and hasty generalizations (Cooper, 1997). False dilemma, also known as polarization or the fallacy of false alternatives is a logical fallacy where two extremes are given as the only two choices. No acknowledgment is given to possible middle ground or consideration for other options (Rudinow, 2008). An ‘either-or’ situation is presented when in ...
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