Question

...
Alan

Claim dismissed or labeled wrong, because it is not understood?

Curious, if there was a fallacy or a name for this kind of erroneous thinking when a person dismisses your claim or tells you that you are wrong, because they don't understand it?
asked on Wednesday, Jan 09, 2019 01:10:26 AM by Alan

Top Categories Suggested by Community

Comments

Want to get notified of all questions as they are asked? Update your mail preferences and turn on "Instant Notification."

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.

Many of our ideas about the world are based more on feelings than facts, sensibilities than science, and rage than reality. We gravitate toward ideas that make us feel comfortable in areas such as religion, politics, philosophy, social justice, love and sex, humanity, and morality. We avoid ideas that make us feel uncomfortable. This avoidance is a largely unconscious process that affects our judgment and gets in the way of our ability to reach rational and reasonable conclusions. By understanding how our mind works in this area, we can start embracing uncomfortable ideas and be better informed, be more understanding of others, and make better decisions in all areas of life.

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

* This is for the author's bookstore only. Applies to autographed hardcover, audiobook, and ebook.

Get the Book

Answers

...
Bo Bennett, PhD
0
Classic argument from ignorance. “I don’t know (understand), therefore it is false/true.”
answered on Wednesday, Jan 09, 2019 01:36:31 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD

Comments

...
Abdulazeez
0
argument from ignorance.
answered on Wednesday, Jan 09, 2019 05:40:27 AM by Abdulazeez

Comments

...
mchasewalker
0
Hey Alan, if you are new to this site you may be unaware of the numerous incoherent claims made, or clumsy questions presented in the form of claims (petitio principii), but it is what makes this site so vibrant and relevant. One of the constant ironies we deal with are questionable claims that are themselves deceptive, flawed and poorly constructed.


Many of my fellow logicians here will dismiss or reject a claim upfront because it is not yet fully-developed, and they are correct in throwing it back to the claimant to improve upon. According to Aristotle's Analytics, one might even lose points by failing to identify upfront, dismiss, or even by attempting to answer a loaded or begged question. I would argue it is not initially "erroneous thinking" or an Argumentum ad ignorantiam if your question or claim is dismissed by a logician or fellow fallacyophite (see above). It might just mean it needs work. Likewise with the response as well. Not all responses are acceptable either and there is a section for responses that are as yet unanswered or unacceptable. If someone suggests you are wrong because they don't understand your question then we're getting into precarious territory. No one is wrong, even though their question or claim might be flawed. Clarity is essential to logic, and both sides are required to present their argument in the best form possible. Of course when you're dealing with newbies and curious visitors we should try to be as generous and welcoming as possible - with the exception of spurious fundamentalists who often feign sincerity as a disguise to proselytize their dubious belief systems. In which case, as with other conspiracy theorists, religionists and tin-foil hatters it is quite proper to confront, expose and correct them as soon as possible. As Thomas Jefferson wrote: "Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions." Ha!
answered on Thursday, Jan 10, 2019 11:58:09 AM by mchasewalker

Comments

...
Ben
0
Argument from personal incredulity.
answered on Friday, Jan 11, 2019 03:46:32 AM by Ben

Comments