![]() For example, it is a straw man to portray the anti-abortion position as the claim that all abortions, with no exceptions, are wrong. Therefore, Straw Man arguments often attack a political party or movement at its extremes, where it is weakest. For instance, the extremists in the abortion debate are those who argue that no abortions are permissible, or that all abortions are. So, extremists are those who take positions starting with "all" or "no". To refute these requires one to prove the extremes: "No P are Q" or "All P are Q", respectively. The other propositions are progressively harder to refute until you get to the middle two: "Some P are Q" and "Some P are not Q". Moreover, the world being such as it is, unless P and Q are connected definitionally, such propositions are usually false. These are easiest to refute, since all it takes is a single counter-example to refute a universal proposition. The extremes are "All P are Q" and "No P are Q". Extreme positions are more difficult to defend because they make fewer allowances for exceptions, or counter-examples. However, attacking a logically stronger position than that taken by the opponent is a sign of strength, whereas attacking a straw man is a sign of weakness.Ī common straw man is an extreme man. Debaters usually try to take the strongest position they can, so that any change is likely to be for the worse. Of course, if there is an obvious way to make a debating opponent's position stronger, then one is up against an incompetent debater. ![]() Thus, it is no surprise that arguers seldom misstate their opponent's position so as to make it stronger. Of course, this is no accident, but is part of what makes the fallacy tempting to commit, especially to a desperate debater who is losing an argument. So, the fallacy is not simply the argument, but the entire situation of the argument occurring in such a context.Īs the "straw man" metaphor suggests, the counterfeit position attacked in a Straw Man argument is typically weaker than the opponent's actual position, just as a straw man is easier to defeat than a flesh-and-blood one. It is only because the burden of proof is on the arguer to argue against the opponent's position that a Straw Man fallacy is committed. There may be nothing wrong with the argument presented by the arguer when it is taken out of context, that is, it may be a perfectly good argument against the straw man. The arguer argues to a conclusion that denies the "straw man", but misses the target. This fallacy is a type of Red Herring because the arguer is attempting to refute the other side's position, and in the context is required to do so, but instead attacks a position not held by the other side. A straw man argument occurs in the context of a debate―formal or informal―when one side attacks a position―the "straw man"―not held by the other side, then acts as though the other side's position has been refuted. It is endemic in public debates on politics, ethics, and religion. Judging from my experience, Straw Man is one of the commonest of fallacies. Dobson, in a fund-raising letter for "Focus on the Family", February 13, 1992. And yet they're perfectly willing to tell our kids that "safe sex" is within reach and that they can sleep around with impunity. Ot one of 800 sexologists at a recent conference raised a hand when asked if they would trust a thin rubber sheath to protect them during intercourse with a known HIV infected person. Why, apart from moral considerations, do you think teenagers should be taught to abstain from sex until marriage? What follows, then, is what I would have said on television. ![]() How sad that adolescents hear only the dangerous "safe sex" message from adults who should know better. Why did I travel to The Big Apple for such an insignificant role? I felt a responsibility to express the abstinence position on national television. single 45-second sound bite cost me a long journey and two hectic days in New York City. I was one of nine guests on that live program. …UnquoteĮxample: Some of you may have seen the 90-minute ABC network television show entitled "Growing Up in the Age of AIDS". Don't worry about losing the Strawperson-American community vote. Quote… When your opponent sets up a straw man, set it on fire and kick the cinders around the stage. All the while, the real opponent stands by untouched. ![]() ![]() Imagine a fight in which one of the combatants sets up a man of straw, attacks it, then proclaims victory. "Straw man" is one of the best-named fallacies, because it is memorable and vividly illustrates the nature of the fallacy. Taxonomy: Logical Fallacy > Informal Fallacy > Red Herring Etymology: (Sorry, your browser does not support inline frames.) Straw Man ![]()
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