Reasoning Fallacies Essay Example for Free

Reasoning Fallacies Essay A reasoning fallacy is an error in reasoning.   We all have our position on certain issues and at one point in time we have attempted to convince other persons to accept the same position.   Reasoning fallacy will be committed if there is an error in our own reasoning that led us to adopt the position or we used erroneous reasoning in trying to convince others to adopt our position. As a result, reasoning fallacy is a serious cause of concern.   It may be possible that we think in a particular manner and act in accordance with what we think not knowing that the reasoning we used in arriving at such thinking is erroneous.    Also, reasoning fallacy is troubling because a person who cannot spot reasoning fallacies in an argument will most likely be deceived by other persons who use these fallacies. Equivocation or equivocal language is the use of a single term or word to mean two different things.   One particular example is the statement: â€Å"For Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, basketball is their bread and butter.   Bread and butter are my favorite breakfast.  Ã‚   Therefore, for Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, basketball is their favorite breakfast.   In the statements mentioned, bread and butter are used in two different senses – as means to earn a living and as a meal. Non Sequitur is a fallacy that is committed when a person’s premises have no direct relationship to his conclusion.   This fallacy is most often committed by politicians, and multi-national companies to promote their product.   One example is the statements: â€Å"Oprah Winfrey is an intelligent, outspoken and strong-willed woman.   Most of her opinions are right. She also supports Barrack Obama’s presidential campaign.   Therefore Barrack Obama is the best choice for presidency.†Ã‚   Here, it is clear that Oprah’s opinions no matter how great she is, has no bearing on the issue of qualifications of Obama. Fallacy of Ignoring the Question or Red Herring is a fallacy committed by a person who does not properly respond to a question.   For example, if a person is asked whether he committed adultery, he says, â€Å"I am a religious person and I go to church everyday.† The fallacy of Begging the Question is a fallacy that attempts to prove a particular statement but the statement itself is assumed in the premises.   For example, â€Å"George W. Bush is the best president of the United States because nobody else is better.† One example of a reasoning fallacy can be found in the January 15, 2007 issue of the Time Magazine.   It was written by Jeffrey D. Sachs and the article is entitled â€Å"The $10 Solution: Malaria kills 2 million African children a year.†Ã‚   It can be found in the first paragraph of the article which states that: â€Å"Listen for a moment to the beautiful and dignified voices of Africa’s mothers.   Despite their burdens of poverty and hunger, they will tell you not of their endless toil but of their hopes for their children. But softy ever so softly, they will also recount the children they have lost, claimed by a sudden fever, children who died in their arms as they were carried in a desperate half-day’s journey by foot from the village to the nearest clinic.†Ã‚   Here, the author appeals to the emotion of his readers to arouse their sympathy and to encourage the readers to donate and contribute a portion of their money to organizations that provide assistance to the African people.   .   Bibliographies Sachs, Jeffrey D.   â€Å"The $10 Solution: Malaria kills 2 million African children a year.†Ã‚   Time. January 15, 2007.   Vol. 169 No. 1.