From: brinkman@si151a.llnl.gov
Newsgroups: talk.origins
Subject: Talk.Origins Fallacies (was: Re: Flake theories, a litmus test?)
Date: 22 Jan 93 18:35:54 GMT


   In article <1993Jan20.161659@IASTATE.EDU> kv07@IASTATE.EDU 
(Warren Vonroeschlaub) writes...

>  Alot of verbage has gone into a discussion of how to detect "pseudoscience". 

   I would suggest that all "pseudoscience" (on talk.origins) at any rate
can be discerned based on the inclusion of one or more of the following
fallacies.

Argumentum ad CAP-LOCK

   The logical fallacy that holds anything written in all capital letters
   must be true.  Example, "THE SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS PROVES THAT
   EVOLUTION IS IMPOSSIBLE."

Argumentum via Conspiracium ad Scientia

   The logical fallacy that holds any theory which is suppressed by
   science must be correct.  This suppression is often proved by the fact
   that the proponents have published nothing in refereed journals.  Example:
  "Of course Henry Morris hasn't published anything on biology.  The truth
   is being suppressed."

Argumentum via Consequncia ad Negativio

   The logical fallacy that holds any belief which may lead to negative
   consequences is perforce incorrect.  Example: "Hitler spoke glowingly
   of evolution.  This shows that evolution is wrong."

Argumentum via Misspellatum

   The logical fallacy that holds any idea that can be misspelled to provide
   sinister connotations is perforce incorrect.  Example: "EVILution".

Argumentum via Lackum ad Imaginatium

   The logical fallacy that holds any idea which is beyond the mental
   capacity of it's opponent is perforce incorrect.  Example: "I just
   can't imagine how evolution could produce eyes."

Argumentum via Repititio

   The logical fallacy that holds anything which is repeated often enough
   just has to be correct.  Example: The reduced felt-effect of gravity.
   See also the related fallacy of Refutadum via Repititio

Refutadum via Repititio

   The logical fallcy that holds that after a suitable number of repostings,
   one can claim that he has already refuted all of the criticisms to one's
   posts.  Example: The reduced felt-effect of gravity.  See also the
   related fallacy of Argumentum ad Repititio.

Argumentum via Compariensis ad Gallileo

   The logical fallcy that holds since people laughed at Gallileo, and he
   was correct, if people laugh at me I must be correct.  Example: "Sure
   this sounds crazy, but remember people said that to Galileo too."

Argumentum via Examplum ad Einstein

   The logical fallacy that holds Einstein to be the sole and final arbiter
   of the correctness of a scientific theory.  Example: "Einstein died with
   a copy of one of Velikovsky's books on his desk."

Argumentum via Denialadum ad Obviousensis

   The logical fallacy that holds that denying the obvious perforce makes
   the obvious untrue.  Example: "One cannot be a theist and accept evolution."

Argumentum ad Ted

   The logical fallacy that holds expletive, solely by itself, proves one's
   point.  Example: "Bullshit."


>-|-  ___  Warren Kurt vonRoeschlaub

P.S. Sorry to use your post as a mere springboard, Warren, but, hey, c'est la
     vie in talk.origins.

--
Matt Brinkman
brinkman@edseq1.llnl.gov
Newsgroups: talk.origins