Common Logical Fallacies in Politics and Debate and How to Combat Them
Common Logical Fallacies in Politics and Debate and How to Combat Them
Logic is the most important subject we could possibly study, yet it seems these days it’s nowhere to be found in society. Let's remedy that.
When you really get down to it, politics is nothing more than the committing of one logical fallacy after the other. When you realize this, the theatrics of it all become laughable.
In his book Being Logical, author Dennis McInerny provides a solid foundation for the philosophy of Logic and gives readers an immediately applicable framework for the use of Reason while communicating and making decisions.
Logic is the most important subject we could possibly study, yet it seems these days it’s nowhere to be found in society.
This isn’t shocking when you watch a political debate and realize that the population continues to vote for these puppets.
Adopting the use of Logic helps you to not only detect when a logical fallacy is being committed during discourse with someone, but it also acts as a truth barometer for you as well so you don’t make the mistake of committing a fallacy.
While this may seem trivial at first, a society’s adoption or rejection of Reason is literally a life or death issue.
Racism, anti semitism, and sexism are all forms of collectivism, an irrational thought process rooted in the Appeal to Emotion fallacy. And that fallacy is exactly what Hitler used to convince millions of people it was okay to wipe out entire populations of people just because of their lineage.
When the Bolshevik revolution ousted Tzar Nicholas II in Russia and ushered in a communist regime that ultimately killed millions of Ukranians via mass starvation and the nationalization of agriculture, you better believe that all stemmed from a logical fallacy- the Appeal to Authority fallacy. Rooted deep in the battle-scarred history of Russia is the belief that rulers are selected in a near-mystic way, and it’s the people’s duty to obey them thus creating a paternalistic view of government. The Appeal to Authority fallacy is at the forefront of this erroneous way of thinking, which involves people taking a passive role in decision-making for themselves because someone in a position of power supposedly knows how to run their life better than they do.
Here are just a few other examples of logical fallacies rampant in politics and society that wreak havoc on individuals’ inalienable rights of freedom, privacy, and autonomy:
Cherry-picking fallacy:
The cherry-picking fallacy involves the manipulation of data as the means to suit one’s political ends. Over and over again politicians cherry-pick data to scare citizens thus asserting more draconian control over the population.
The fallacy of cherry-picking has been committed throughout the pandemic to justify lockdowns, government control over citizens, and the printing of seemingly endless amounts of money via the Federal Reserve.
Data was manipulated to inflate covid positive cases by counting one person’s multiple positive tests as individual positive cases. People who died in motorcycle crashes who happened to be positive were counted as covid deaths. Even vaccine company AstraZeneca is being called out by a group of professionals overseeing their work because they have committed a slew of ethical violations over the last two years including using data manipulation tactics to give the appearance their covid vaccine is more effective than it actually is.
False Dilemma fallacy:
The False Dilemma fallacy is used to drum up tension by convincing people that there are only two options and their option is the best one to go with.
This fallacy is at the heart of America’s two-party political system. The American people have been engrained over centuries with the illusion that there are only two options when it comes to who’s in charge of running the country and you better choose one.
How many times have you heard someone say, “I voted for the lesser of two evils.”?
The reality is they still voted for evil.
Voluntaryist philosophy works to dispel the myth of the false dilemma by teaching people there are a plethora of ways to govern society and a two-party system built on coercion clearly isn’t one of them.
Tears as Diversion fallacy:
Take some time to revisit political speeches from previous generations and examples of the Tears as a Diversionary Tactic fallacy are rampant. Emotional manipulation accompanied by fear-inducing “facts,” “figures,” and testimony is used to scare populations into submission so governments can carry out whatever rights-grabbing scheme they have concocted and the people will be none the wiser.
A good example of this can be found in the early 1900s United States when thousands of poor southern whites, blacks, and immigrants were force-sterilized in the name of “public health.” Young Carrie Buck’s case even went to the supreme court, and they ruled in favor of her forced sterilization. You can read more about her story and the Forced Sterilization Acts here.
Government pamphlets with alarming statistics not at all grounded in sound science or research were passed out to the general public with the intent of scaring them into viewing “imbeciles” as less than human. It worked. Many viewed forced sterilization, a byproduct of the trend of eugenics, as “settled science.”
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. even declared “three generations of imbeciles are enough.”
Red Herring Fallacy:
One of the most common fallacies used in politics and government, the Red Herring fallacy, involves the use of emotionally-charged material in order to incite fear and pit one group of people against another. It’s another in a set of diversion tactics that help take the attention off of what is really going on behind closed doors.
With political ideology being divisive at its core, the Red Herring fallacy is an easy one to commit. An example of this has happened several times during economic crises. People who save money, or “hoarders” as Keynesian economists call them, are blamed for economic recessions and thus become the Red Herring. This takes the heat off the true root cause of recessions, the prior boom that is made possible only by the careless printing of wads of cash at the Federal Reserve (America’s central bank- it’s not really a bank though. It’s actually a private entity).
These are just a few of the many logical fallacies committed by politicians and much of society today. It is important to study Logic and use Reason everyday when we make decisions, communicate, and participate in society. History shows time and again when Reason is society’s philosophical compass, innovation, science, art, and populations thrive (the Renaissance period, Enlightenment). However, history shows when irrational, emotionally-driven rulers reign supreme over populations who don’t value Reason, mayhem, murder, torture, and disease are everywhere (Medieval times, Stalinist Russia).
The good news is we have books, courses, and tons of material available at our fingertips teaching us how to spot logical fallacies, develop our ability to Reason, and use Logic as our guide as we make our way in this world.
Start with Dennis McInerny’s book, Being Logical.
Once you finish that (I love revisiting the book as well as a reference), check out works on Socratic Logic which involves a deeper dive into Logical reasoning. And if you really want to revolutionize your mind for the better, read Leonard Peikoff’s book on Objectivism and learn about the only philosophy out there wholly dedicated to Reason.
Next time you watch a political debate, at your own risk, make a drinking game out of it and take a shot every time a candidate commits a logical fallacy. Chances are, you’ll be drunk before the first commercial break.
Cheers!
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