It’s impossible for you to understand, therefore I am right.
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Original Question
I had someone tell me this one and it looks like an argument from ignorance or complexity but I wanted to ask the community. She said it was literally impossible for me to understand her point, because I am white. She has information I cannot see or understand. Therefore I should take her word for it.
I believe that a person of a different race could have a point of view which is difficult for me to understand but not impossible for me to understand.
Comments on Question
What does race have to do with a point of view?
Answers
4She said it was literally impossible for me to understand her point, because I am white. She has information I cannot see or understand. Therefore I should take her word for it.
Formally this is just an unsupported opinion. Rather than any specific fallacy it's more a lack of understanding of how empathy works. If it were impossible for people of different races to 'understand' each others' experiences, there would be almost no point talking about racism at all. We do in fact, talk about it all the time. It would be more accurate to say that it may be difficult for a white person to see things from a black person's point of view, or difficult for said white person to feel exactly how a black person does.
It isn't implausible to argue that perceptions are shaped by lived experience, which is shaped by identity (in fact, it's correct).
What is implausible, logically anyway, is to assume the invalidity of an argument based on the speaker's identity. So this attitude, in the context of an argument, becomes a fallacy (identity fallacy). Instead, use identity to construct an explanation as to why someone may believe something (after you have argued that it is wrong).
There appear to be three distinct issues between the title question and your more detailed explanation.
1. The title claim: It’s impossible for you to understand.... (ad Fidentia)
2. Therefore, I am right. (Non-sequitur) It doesn't follow that just because someone doesn't understand a claim does not automatically make it correct.
3. Whereupon further explanation: She said it was literally impossible for me to understand her point because I am white.
This is just an opinion and not an unreasonable one at that. There's no deception and it is reasonable to suggest that being a white male you might have difficulties understanding the experience of a woman of color. Maybe not impossible, but that's a matter of opinion.
" She said it was literally impossible for me to understand her point, because I am white." More of an opinion or maybe rhetoric. I see this being used so much today when it comes to politics. maybe we should call it the race fallacy.
Their is a thing call empathy. Just because you are a certain race does not mean you do not have it.
We need to know what her "point was" before we can comment.
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I think more information needs to be known before this question can be answered. What exactly did this woman say you could not understand?
I'll be honest and say I'm a racial minority, so maybe that will taint my view on this, but I can explain it from a perspective of someone who "understands"
The first thing that needs to be known is what she means by "understand". I'm going to assume based on other conversations I've had in a similar context that what she means is having first hand experience.
If she suggested that it's impossible to understand what it's like to experience racism, or what's is like to be a minority, then she has a point. According to how racism is defined currently, white people cannot experience racism. Given you're not a minority, you wouldn't know what that experience is like either. I think this is true because the targets of racial discrimination are almost always evident and inversely, those who benefit from the racial heiarchy. People are not likely to accidentally impose racism on a non person if color (POC)
If she meant it's impossible to understand the interior politics or social issues amongst POC, I'd say that's not necessarily true. Its possible that you are engaged with the POC community and collaborate with them to seek social justice. Then I'd assume you'd probably be quite knowledgeable on the social issues and politics affecting POC.
To answer the OP, it isn't clear whether there is a specific fallacy being committed here. You could make an argument that she is guilty of the identity fallacy