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AllanfromWales1 t1_jd9tqnh wrote

Reply to comment by gimboarretino in The Fallacy Fork: Why It’s Time to Get Rid of Fallacy Theory by CartesianClosedCat

If you accept that starting from a false premise counts as a fallacious argument that's easy. Example:

  • The bible is the source of all valid ethics
  • The bible approves of slavery [demonstrably true]
  • Therefore slavery is ethically acceptable

or

  • The quality of a movie can be assessed by its reviews in the media
  • Media reviews of the Godfather were more positive than for all other films in history [almost certainly not true]
  • Therefore the Godfather is the best movie ever.
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gimboarretino t1_jd9z8qx wrote

yeah, and starting from different false premises you can easily get to the opposite outcome (slavery non acceptable / Godfather not the Greatest).

How do you establish which is the best conclusion (truth or merely acceptable) if not on the basis of a rigorous check on logical reasoning?

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AllanfromWales1 t1_jda59b4 wrote

Did I ever suggest to the contrary? A combination of checking the validity of the premises and the logic of the argument is the only tool we have.

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