25 May describing and evaluating the informal fallacies of propter hoc ergo hoc and appeal to authority
Order Instructions
n this Study Room we will practice identifying, describing and evaluating the informal fallacies of propter hoc ergo hoc and appeal to authority (and remember, this is not always a fallacy).
FIRST POST
Provide examples of EACH of these fallacies. Do not reproduce examples in the textbook or in one of the other resources that we have studied. These arguments are not hard to find or invent.
1) Propter hoc ergo hoc: Describe an argument in which someone argues that X causes Y because X happened before Y. There are lots of them. And remember–cause-effect relationships can be very complicated relationships to grasp and justify. Explain the fallacy, why it is a weak or bad argument.
2) Expert Testimony: Describe an argument that relies on an “expert” or an “authority” that is weak or just plain bad. Explain why the argument is weak or bad.
