True logic is sorely lacking in our society, however we seem to have an abundance of faulty logic. It permeates every subject - politics, religion, philosophy, and even science. "Facts" are often based on personal anecdotes, emotional appeal, or stretched analogies.
Here are some examples of the types of faulty logic you may come across when someone is arguing a point:
1. "Americans love country music. It's the logical music choice for any 4th of July party!"
* False Premise: This argument makes the assumption that all Americans love country music. Some Americans like it and others do not. One cannot expect to draw logical conclusions from a false premise.
2. "Mom and Pop's Online Rare Book Shop should have free shipping. Amazon.com offers free shipping and they are really successful."
* False Analogy: A small, individually owned bookstore is not the same thing as a corporate giant. False Analogies compare two things that are not similar enough to make a prediction about one based on the results of the other.
3. "Starbucks coffee is popular because a lot of people really like it!"
* Circular Reasoning: Popular means that a lot of people like something. You cannot prove your opinion by simply restating it.
4. "I have to wake my daughter up every morning or she will be late for school."
* Either/Or Fallacy: These arguments assume that the options presented are the only options, when in fact they are not. The daughter could use an alarm clock, she could wake on her own, or she could get a pet rooster to wake her at dawn. Choosing to ignore the other options does not prove your point.
5. "My mechanic says I should wear magnetic jewelry to stop my joint pain."
* Appeal to the Wrong Authority: Your mechanic may be able to reassemble your car, but he's not a doctor. Experts receive specialized training in their field. People who have tried something themselves can have opinions, but they are not experts on the subject.
6. "I drank 10 glasses of water yesterday and when I woke up this morning the zit on my chin was gone! Water is the best way to clear up acne."
* Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc: ("After this, therefore because of this") One thing that happens before another did not necessarily cause the second thing to happen. Even if your alarm clock rings every day just before dawn, it is not the reason the sun rises.
7. "Look at these poor starving children. How can anyone say donating to our charity is not money well spent?"
* Emotional Appeal: Arguments that appeal to our emotions cloud the issue by making a person seem heartless if they disagree. In this example, the charity that claims to help starving children could be woefully mismanaged, in which case a donation would not be money well spent.
8. "Orange juice is the healthiest drink ever known! My grandmother drank two glasses of orange juice every day and she lived to be 101."
* Anecdotal Evidence: The story may be true, but it doesn't prove anything. There could be any number of factors that affected the outcome. Also, the experience of only one person cannot logically be considered as the "typical" outcome. Until scientific research can back up an anecdotal claim, it is just a hypothesis.
By taking the time to understand faulty logic, we can learn to see through illogical arguments and strengthen our own positions in a debate. We can practice healthy skepticism and learn to think for ourselves.