Fallacies In Critical Thinking

Fallacy is “a reasoning ‘trick’ that an author might use while trying to persuade you to accept a conclusion” (Browne and Keeley, 85). They are known to be tricks or illusions of thoughts. They are often sneaky and seen everywhere specifically in politics, editorials, commercials, or advertisements. There are three common characteristics a critical reader should be suspicious of: reasons that requires inaccurate or incorrect assumptions, diverting a reader by making information seem relevant to the conclusion when it is not, and support of a conclusion that is already proven (Browne and Keeley, 85). Identifying these three characteristics will prevent a critical reader from being influenced. There are many different types of fallacies. Our group assignment was the fallacy that appeals to emotions.

This definition relates to logical arguments can spark emotions. For instance, TV commercials and advertisements are emotionally loaded. They are known to hit strong emotions including joy, sadness, fear, humor, hope, pity, or sympathy (textbook?). Advertisements can effectively tug on the heartstrings of viewers and make them feel an emotion. They are emotional experiences to captivate the audience by sparking an interest in their products. However, a fallacy occurs when emotions replace the logic and manipulate the argument producing an emotional response not related to facts or supported evidence (2nd definition). The viewer should remain logical and not allow emotional reactions to interfere. Not everything the viewer hears is not true or accurate. When there is an emotional emphasis, it can be a distorted view of the