Ambigamy

Insights for the Deeply Romantic and Deeply Skeptical

Jeremy Sherman is an evolutionary epistemologist studying the natural history and practical realities of decision making. See full bio

June 23, 2009, Behavioral Economics

Comments on "Eisophtrophobia: Fear of mirrors and why the fallacies aren't common knowledge"

Eisophtrophobia: Fear of mirrors and why the fallacies aren't common knowledge

By Jeremy Sherman, Ph.D. on June 23, 2009 in Ambigamy

I have a motto for this work: To name it is to tame it.

I search for terms that enable us to label common mental “moves,” especially the faulty ones. If you have a name for a move, you’re prepared to identify it when it flies by in thought and conversation. That way, you can catch others in weak reasoning, and indeed, keep your own weak reasoning in check.
Read More

I admit..

Submitted by YG on June 23, 2009 - 5:08pm.

I don't think I'd even heard the term fallacies before PT, so, I appreciate the education for the lay-masses like me. That sounds suspiciously identical to lame asses ;)

On one of Christopher Ryans recent posts on abortions, Logic Man, or whatever he called himself went through each comment which was a fallacy and named it and said why it was a fallacy. That was helpful, too. Otherwise, outside of the anonymous blogosphere world I imagine it's seen as confrontational to point out the fallacies as they happen, so, it's avoided along with the much needed education.

I wonder if there would be more or less fighting in the political arena if there were objective Logic Mans running around calling bull-shit on fallacies all day? Maybe just better or more productive fighting?