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This is a reasonable analogy. People tend to call "False Equivalence" when they don't like the fact that the analogy shows their view to be unreasonable. The analogy clearly demonstrates that the mask is not about the individual's health any more than not speeding drunk is. I see person 1 committing more of a Moving the Goalposts fallacy in their final comment. |
answered on Monday, Jun 15, 2020 11:55:33 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD | |
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Logical form: 1. Wearing a mask or not wearing a mask is a choice that can only be made by the individual. 2. This is because people need to be responsible for their own health. 3. If people have to be responsible for the health of others, this is a slippery slope that could lead to other undesirable outcomes. For me, the main issue is premise #2. It ignores the effect of other people's behaviour on one's health. For example, if I carry COVID-19 and enter a crowded area without a mask, I may transmit the virus to another person. My individual health problem thus becomes another person's problem. Furthermore, it is not mutually exclusive to be responsible for your own health and be mindful of the impact of your choices on others. If I wear a mask, it does not follow that others around me can then feel free to, say, not observe social distancing. #3 thus does not follow from #2. Mask-wearing is a limited-time guideline based on the current public health situation and some scientific evidence. There is no reason to suggest it will set a precedent of forcing people to 'be responsible for other people's health'. One could argue that asking you to wear a mask would be making you responsible for someone else's well-being, although even if true, the degree of responsibility does not compare - in any way - to that of your own health.
Arguably there is a more clear and present danger from speeding while drunk, although yes, this is a good counterpoint. It illustrates the limits of person 1's "individual choice" argument by showing that some choices may harm others, violating their individual choice as well - I didn't choose to catch the virus from you, and you didn't choose to have your car slammed into by mine.
I don't see the point of the 'breathing' part...wearing a mask still allows you to breathe normally. No? Other than that, this isn't a very convincing objection, since not wearing a mask in a crowded area is arguably also reckless behaviour, especially if you are a carrier and in the presence of vulnerable people. |
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answered on Monday, Jun 15, 2020 11:09:30 AM by TrappedPrior (RotE) | ||||
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Yes, this is a false analogy, one of the most common of all the logical fallacies. It is the same analogy used by gun rights zealots: "cars (hammers, knives) kill people, and we don't outlaw guns." |
answered on Tuesday, Jun 16, 2020 12:32:56 PM by Michael Hurst | |
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