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Trying to figure out the fallacy here, I can't put my thumb on it.Person A: I believe there are only two genders.
Person B: Why do you say so? Person A: Because NO ONE'S ever proven that there are more than two Now, I'm rather sure that there's a fallacy here but I don't know which, somebody help? |
| asked on Wednesday, Mar 06, 2019 12:55:46 PM by Skeptic Al | |
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Part one is about how science works even when the public thinks it doesn't. Part two will certainly ruffle some feathers by offering a reason- and science-based perspective on issues where political correctness has gone awry. Part three provides some data-driven advice for your health and well-being. Part four looks at human behavior and how we can better navigate our social worlds. In part five we put on our skeptical goggles and critically examine a few commonly-held beliefs. In the final section, we look at a few ways how we all can make the world a better place.
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Argument from Ignorance . The assumption of a conclusion or fact based primarily on lack of evidence to the contrary.
Scientifically, this is a strange dialog because gender (not biological sex) is a socially constructed concept to which no "proof" can exist outside of wide-scale agreement. A gender is XYZ because we, as a society, has agreed that it is. |
| answered on Wednesday, Mar 06, 2019 01:02:09 PM by Bo Bennett, PhD |
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It does sound like argument from ignorance (see Kahane, Logic and Contemporary Argument).
But there may also be a false dilemma. The argument assumes that only two choices are possible. (Getting into factual area here, many scientists have researched various intersex sates.) When someone tells you in a loud voice that there are only two choices, caution is advised. |
| answered on Wednesday, Mar 06, 2019 01:20:09 PM by Bill |
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The claimant prefaces his or her statement with "I believe" which neutralizes the claim.
It is simply a statement of belief. The belief states there are only two genders and thus through its ambiguous use of the word, gender creates a Fallacy of Amphiboly. Linguistically, an amphiboly is a type of ambiguity that results from ambiguous grammar, as opposed to one that results from the ambiguity of words or phrases—that is, equivocation. Logically, the fallacy of amphiboly occurs when a bad argument trades upon grammatical ambiguity to create an illusion of cogency. As Dr. Bo describes: Ambiguity Fallacy (also known as: ambiguous assertion, amphiboly, amphibology, semantical ambiguity, vagueness) Description: When an unclear phrase with multiple definitions is used within the argument; therefore, does not support the conclusion. Some will say single words count for the ambiguity fallacy, which is really a specific form of a fallacy known as equivocation. Logical Form: Claim X is made. Y is concluded based on an ambiguous understanding of X. |
| answered on Thursday, Mar 07, 2019 11:25:21 AM by mchasewalker |
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My interpretation of the statement:
Assertions without proof are absolutely True. If I may cheat with an equivalent model: Person A: I believe that God exists. Person B: Why do you say so? Person A: Because no one has ever proven that God does not exist. I am reading LF for the first time, so I have no idea which one of the 300 violations this fits. |
| answered on Thursday, Mar 07, 2019 02:48:35 PM by mchasewalker |
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