False dilemma

False dilemma, also called the either-or fallacy, us vs. them fallacy, black-or-white fallacy, false dichotomy, or the fallacy of false choice, is a mistake in logic that allows only two possibilities when more than two exist.

For example, there is "either-or fallacy" in saying that an apple must be green or red.  The premise is that the apple is either one color or another; but this beginning is a mistake because some apples—not most—are other colors.  In other words, most apples are red or green, but some are also yellow.

A "fallacy of false choice" may hide a deliberate attempt to eliminate agreement on an issue. Eldridge Cleaver used this tactic when he said: "You're either part of the solution or part of the problem."

A false dilemma may also be used for comedic effect. Stephen Colbert used this tactic when he asked guests on The Colbert Report: "George Bush... great president or the greatest president?"

 Related pages
 Fuzzy logic
 Denying the correlative
 Apples and oranges
 Falsifiability
 Ipse dixit

References

Further reading
  entry in The Fallacy Files

Category:Logical fallacies