Is there a fallacy here?
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Original Question
I asked someone a question as to whether they think that both men and women should be paid the same amount for the same job, and this was the response:
"The government should stay out of private contracts between employers and employees. If women are being paid less for the same job, then why hasn't someone realized that women are a cheaper opportunity to hire employees and hired all women to save costs?"
It feels like there's a fallacy here, but I might be wrong. I'd just like clarification.
Thanks!
"The government should stay out of private contracts between employers and employees. If women are being paid less for the same job, then why hasn't someone realized that women are a cheaper opportunity to hire employees and hired all women to save costs?"
It feels like there's a fallacy here, but I might be wrong. I'd just like clarification.
Thanks!
Answers
1It is written as an opinion combined with a thought-provoking question rather than a statement, so with this type of form I am far less likely to call a fallacy. But what also makes something a fallacy is how it is used in context... or in your example, as the response to your question.
The answer, as you have it written, is not an answer to your question... not even an implied answer. You wanted to know if the person thought both men and women should be paid the same amount for the same job. The response was neither a yes nor a no, not even an implied yes or no. So we can call it a non-sequitur or we can assume that it was a clarifying question or a question to get some discussion going in order to help the person answer the question, in which case, no fallacy.
Another example:
Person 1: Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Person 2: They are really not very healthy.
This can be seen as being evasive.
Person 1: Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Person 2: What kind of peanut butter?
This is asking for clarification before an answer is given.
The answer, as you have it written, is not an answer to your question... not even an implied answer. You wanted to know if the person thought both men and women should be paid the same amount for the same job. The response was neither a yes nor a no, not even an implied yes or no. So we can call it a non-sequitur or we can assume that it was a clarifying question or a question to get some discussion going in order to help the person answer the question, in which case, no fallacy.
Another example:
Person 1: Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Person 2: They are really not very healthy.
This can be seen as being evasive.
Person 1: Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Person 2: What kind of peanut butter?
This is asking for clarification before an answer is given.
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