Old joke and logical fallacy

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Shockwave	Old joke and logical fallacy Check out this joke: 90-years-old woman gives an interview: Q: What is your last wish? A: I want to get AIDS! Q: Why??? A: Because I heard you can live with AIDS for 10 years without any problem. Which logical fallacy a woman made in a joke? I think it's an accident fallacy
	asked on Monday, Jan 25, 2021 12:34:31 PM by Shockwave
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Answers

TrappedPrior (RotE)

It's just unclear language that could be interpreted as an implicit argument, but should really be left as an unfunny joke.

If you want to be a logical fallacist, you could interpret it like:

P1) One can live with AIDS for 10 years with no problem

P2) I have AIDS (if she gets her wish)

C) I will live for 10 years with no problems

This is the appeal to possibility. It's also possible she will die before then, from either AIDS complications, or something else. The disease won't magically get her to 100; she has to survive both it and anything else that could kill her.

It is also an example of the ambiguity fallacy as 'problems' is not clearly defined; we do not know whether she is referring to problems arising from AIDS, or anything else.

The joke is that if she gets AIDS, she will live for 10 years without any problem, thus becoming a centenarian. The 'logic' of the joke fails because of the above.

answered on Tuesday, Jan 26, 2021 09:49:46 AM by TrappedPrior (RotE)

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Shockwave writes:

Thanks for your reply! I would agree that it is linguistically unclear what the argument looks like:

P1: One will certainly live with AIDS for 10 years with no problem.

This premise is valid in some common presumed circumstances (use medication, you don't have other serious health problems, you're not too old, you have no accidents...). The woman in this (I suppose bad) joke thought that the meaning of that premise was absolute, that the disease will get her to 100.

Sorry for asking 2 questions in a row and in a short amount of time. I hope I'm not very boring.

posted on Tuesday, Jan 26, 2021 11:55:06 AM

Kostas Oikonomou

I think the confusion comes from cutting short the entire premise which is
" One can live with AIDS for 10 years with no (AIDS-related) problems '.
Since the ' AIDS-related' phrase is something that can be reasonably inferred, it can be omitted.
So I think it's just poor communication which leaves however an open space for joking - and I have to admit I found it pretty funny. No need to apologize for enjoying black humor ;)

answered on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2021 02:11:33 PM by Kostas Oikonomou

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1	Shockwave writes: Тhank you for the answer. Your interpretation seems to me to be one of the natural and acceptable.
	posted on Wednesday, Jan 27, 2021 02:47:57 PM

1	richard smith writes: Not sure if their is a logic fallacy here. Maybe something that deals with ambiguity. The ambiguity is in the words Aids. Aids the diseases or Aids as in people that help you.
	posted on Thursday, Jan 28, 2021 08:57:36 AM

Old joke and logical fallacy

Uncomfortable Ideas: Facts don't care about feelings. Science isn't concerned about sensibilities. And reality couldn't care less about rage.

This is a book about uncomfortable ideas—the reasons we avoid them, the reasons we shouldn’t, and discussion of dozens of examples that might infuriate you, offend you, or at least make you uncomfortable.

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

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