There are many logical fallacies, and over the next few weeks and months, I will occasionally focus on a fallacy. While fallacies are typically from the debating sphere and may seem out of place on a blog dedicated to writing, they do appear in writing as well. And not just in social media and blog comments either. They can appear in website and marketing copy, political speeches, opinion pieces, and so on.
Today’s fallacy is straw man.
What is a straw man fallacy?
A straw man fallacy is when a speaker presents argument that refutes another argument that was never made by the opposition. This tactic is often used when the speaker can’t address the argument raised by the opponent but can address a related argument. Also, the speaker might have misinterpreted the opponent’s argument and targets the misinterpretation rather than the actual argument.
Examples of the straw man fallacy
Here are some other examples of the straw man fallacy:
- A: Do you believe in the Christian God? B: I don’t believe in any gods. A: So you believe we are here by accident?
- Speaker A is addressing a point that Speaker B never raised; speaker B never said anything about whether they believe we are here by accident.
- A: We should relax our drug laws. B: If we have no drug laws, crime will run rampant.
- Speaker A said the laws should be relaxed, not that they should be eliminated.
- A: Our government should spend more on the military. B: Why do you hate the poor so much?
- Speaker A said nothing about funding for programmes that service those in poverty.
- A: Women should be able to choose whether they get an abortion. B: How can you think killing babies is okay?
- Speaker A never actually took a stance on the morality of abortion, only the access to it.
Misinterpreting the points someone else raises and then basing your response on that misrepresentation is unfair to them, and it’s intellectually lazy for you. Hopefully, these examples explain the importance of focusing on an opponent’s actual claims.
Which logical fallacy should I cover next? Let me know in the comments below.