What is an informal fallacy?
Q: What is an informal fallacy?
A: An informal fallacy is a logical argument whose premises fail to support their conclusion. It occurs when there is a disconnect between the premises and the conclusion, usually caused by an unstated co-premise.
Q: How does it differ from a formal fallacy?
A: A formal fallacy has to do with issues of logic, whereas an informal fallacy has to do with errors in reasoning due to natural language allowing one to say more than what can be represented formally.
Q: What are some examples of informal fallacies?
A: Examples of informal fallacies include hasty generalization, equivocation, and fallacies of ambiguity.
Q: What is hasty generalization?
A: Hasty generalization is when one makes a statement based on too small of a sample size that does not represent the entire population. This can lead to incorrect conclusions being drawn from limited evidence.
Q: What is equivocation?
A: Equivocation occurs when two different meanings are used for the same word or phrase in order for it to fit into an argument better. This can lead to confusion and false conclusions being made as well.
Q: What are fallacies of ambiguity?
A: Fallacies of ambiguity occur when words or phrases have multiple meanings which can lead people to draw false conclusions about something because they interpreted it differently than intended.
