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Autobiographical subject matter: This section will focus on a fallacy or mistaken belief that has impacted your life in some way.
Logical skills involved:
- Identifying and analyzing fallacies
- Writing a clear and compelling argument
Worksheet instructions: You can either focus on a mistaken belief that someone else had about you or a mistaken belief that you had about someone else. On the worksheet, state the belief as a single sentence. It should be a sentence that you think is false, since that’s what makes it a mistaken belief! Then check the appropriate box below.
Write a paragraph explaining the reasoning behind the mistaken belief, from the perspective of someone who believes it. In other words, try to express how someone who has that belief might attempt to justify it. This paragraph should contain one of the formal or informal fallacies covered in assigned readings for this class, but the error in reasoning should not be so blatant that the argument sounds ridiculous. Remember, someone actually did believe it!
Then write a paragraph identifying what the error in reasoning is, and how it most likely came about. Your paragraph should make it clear what fallacy is involved, and exactly where the reasoning in the prior paragraph goes wrong. Make sure to explain the specific problem with that particular argument, rather than simply naming the fallacy and explaining the type of fallacy in general.
Advice and things to keep in mind
Whichever option you choose, please avoid including personal information about anyone else in a way that would make them uncomfortable. For instance, if a friend or teacher made an offensive assumption about you, or if you did so about them, please do not identify the particular person involved. The aim is to identify the fallacy and respond effectively to the mistake in reasoning, not to expose sensitive or potentially embarrassing information.
Likewise, keep in mind that your worksheet should be PG-rated and suitable for a public audience. If the mistaken belief arose based on assumptions that are sexist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise hateful, you can convey the serious nature of the issue without expressing it using obscene or degrading language yourself. Recall that responding effectively to fallacies requires articulating the source of the error in a way that may change people’s minds, rather than simply making them defensive.
Fallacy Worksheet
MISTAKEN BELIEF:
Check one:
◊ This is a belief that someone once had about me
◊ This is a belief that I once had about someone else
THE “ARGUMENT” FOR THIS BELIEF:
WHY THAT REASONING IS FALLACIOUS:
