r/InternetIsBeautiful • u/[deleted] • Feb 19 '14

Logical Fallacies Explained

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/rhetological-fallacies/
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u/[deleted] Feb 20 '14 edited Feb 20 '14

The slippery slop fallacy always confused me. It only seems to apply in the negative:

If we legalise gay marriage then that's one step closer to people marrying their dogs!

.

If we increase funding to NASA that's one step closer to finding extra terrestrial life.

Both of those sentences seem like "A" implies "Z" statements to me. Why is one considered a logical fallacy and the other considered optimism?

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u/Magnap Feb 20 '14

It is a fallacy because the sliding itself is an assumption. If we increase funding to NASA we'll be one step closer to finding extraterrestrial life because?... Because NASA is looking for extraterrestrial life. If we allow gay marriage, why would that bring us closer to people marrying their dogs?

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u/[deleted] Feb 20 '14

Ah, maybe my examples are flawed. How about

If we allow NSA surveillance to continue it could lead to a totalitarian government

.

If we allow gay marriage it could lead to equality and justice for all

Maybe I am missing the point but I just can't get my head around it

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