A Logical Fallacy or a Literary Device
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Original Question
In Bo's book, "Everybody knows that, without our culture's religion, we all would be like lost sheep." is an example of alleged certainty. Everyone does not know that. I get it. But how about when "everybody knows" is used as a literary device? Not sure if it qualifies as a hyperbole, but the expression can be used for a literary effect as in Leonard Cohen's song, "Everybody Knows". In this case, should I think of it as a logical fallacy or just as a literary device?
Here's an excerpt from Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen:
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Answers
2When the phrase "everybody knows' is used as a literary device, it should not be considered a fallacy. In the case of Leonard's song, "Everybody knows" the phrase is used to emphasize a widespread belief or understanding about societal issues and convey a sense of resignation or acceptance of the status quo. As a literary device, it serves a specific purpose and should not be evaluated as a factual claim
Since it is being used as a literary device, the implicature is that no argument is being made - it's just creative writing. No argument means no fallacy.
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