1. Informal reasoning and fallacies Post hoc ergo propter hoc – after this therefore on account of this
If A happens, then B happens then A must cause B
Example – GDP increases and globalisation increases – the causal link??
Causal links may be there or somewhere else entirely

2. Ad hominem fallacy – against the man
Attacking or supporting the person not the argument
End poverty – cancel third world debt
You are too young and idealistic to understand
Einstein was in favour of free milk – so it must be good, focusing on the speaker not the argument

3. Circular reasoning and begging the question
This assuming the truth of what you are meant to be proving.
Jesus is the son of God
How do you know
Because he said he was and the son of God would not lie.

4. Special pleading – using double standards
Making an exception for yourself that you would not find acceptable form another
I have to have take time off work because I can’t get a flight back until the day after work starts.

5. Eqivocation – the same word is used in two different senses in the same argument
A hamburger is better than nothing
Nothing is better than good health
Therefore a hamburger is better than good health

6. Argument ad ignorantiam – claiming something is true because it can not be proved to be false

7. False analogy
False analogy when you assume something is similar in one respect it is similar in other too.
As time wears away a stone so your broken heart will mend

8. WHICH IS THE FALSE DILEMMA
False dilemma – assuming only two obvious alternatives exist
If I can’t have this dress I’ll have nothing to wear for the graduation
If you don’t hand this work in you’ll get an E
WHICH IS THE FALSE DILEMMA

9. Now check your understanding of these ideas
Loaded question / statements contains a built-in assumption that has not been justified and may be false
Do you always cheat in exams?
Yes = admitting guilt
No = admitting guilt
EXPLAIN
Well at least he was sober today
What does this imply
Now check your understanding of these ideas

10. Causes of bad reasoning
Ignorance – may not recognise that a particular form of reasoning is faulty
Laziness – we develop fixed habits of thinking and are too lazy to check the argument for supporting evidence
Pride – get involved in an argument and we become wrapped up in winning ad not establishing truth
Prejudice – we begin with these and manufacture reasons to justify them

11. Reason and certainty
Fallacies arise in all types of reasoning – can not be relied in to give us knowledge
Conclusions of deductive arguments are no more certain than the premises on which they are based
However – as a way of thinking, logical reason can not be doubted, this is based on
The law of identity – bird is a bird is a bird
The law of non contradiction - A is plane so it cannot be not-a-plane
The law of the excluded middle everything is either superman or not superman

12. Doubting reasoning?
The doubts that surround deductive reasoning are well……..
Doubting inductive reasoning
January Turkeys
December Turkey

13. Here we go – Lateral thinking
A problem with reasoning is that we become trapped in the prison of consistency – difficult to admit your wrong
To escape the trap we must
Lateral thinking is a way of
reasoning to do just that
De Bono says
Traditional thinking digs
the same hole deeper
Lateral thinking digs a hole
somewhere else

14. You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus
An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
An old friend who once saved your life.
The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
Knowing that there can only be one passenger in your car, whom would you choose?
Go on the internet
Find some lateral thinking puzzles and post the best three on your wiki page

15. linking
questions
reason

16. This is what your brain looks like on drugs
Language
How can vague language lead to bad reasoning?
This is what your brain looks like on drugs

17. Perception Should we trust reason rather than perception?

18. Emotion
Can emotion be rational?

19. Can mathematics be reduced to logic?IS IS
therefore =

20. Natural Sciences Is there a logic of scientific discovery?
Is there a logic of scientific discovery?

21. Human Sciences Are human being rational animals?

22. What kinds of bad reasoning can typically be found in history ?

23. The Arts What is the relation between creativity and rationality?
What is the relation between creativity and rationality?

24. Ethics How important is consistency in moral reasoning?

25. Religion Is faith rational or irrational?

26. Truth How important are coherence and consistency for the truth?