Wisdom Builder
Quick Hits
Topic:
Logical Fallacies
Timeless ideas at the intersections of science, philosophy, critical thinking, and history.
MODE:
~
4 minutes
Logical Fallacies.
Quick Hits
10 random key ideas.
1.
Judging people by association rather than evidence confuses proximity with character. That’s the guilt by association fallacy.
2.
Humans have evolved in the last 50,000 years, just not into a new “species.”
3.
Authority is a cognitive shortcut for managing complexity. Choose your authorities carefully, and never stop auditing them.
4.
Bloodletting survived for millennia not because it worked, but because humans mistook timing for causation.
5.
When information causes you fear, remember, fear itself will cloud your judgement.
6.
Slippery slope arguments manipulate by replacing evidence with fear, implying inevitability without proving the steps in between.
7.
Radiometric dating is scientifically sound, but it’s true that scientists need to carefully rule out contaminants. Sound thinking recognizes that a method’s validity depends on precise execution, not flawed application.
8.
Article summary:
An appeal to authority treats who said something as evidence. It puts who over why and source over evidence.
9.
Cherry-picking turns partial truth into misleading truth. When a claim feels convincing, pause and ask: What evidence was left out? A single fact may be true, but truth requires the bigger picture.
10.
Good advice doesn’t become wrong because the person giving it fails to follow it. Truth stands or falls on evidence, not appearances.
Done. Refresh for another set.