Week 7 — Fallacies of Relevance

Welcome to your Week 7 Start Here page.

Why this matters

A nursing student weighing a celebrity's health tip and a business major reading an ad that sells with fear both need to ask whether a reason bears on the conclusion, so they can set aside what is loud and weigh what is relevant.

In plain language

This week is about reasons that miss the point. You will learn what a fallacy is (a flaw in the reasoning, not in the facts) and run one question on every reason you hear: if this were true, would it bear on the conclusion? You will meet nine common ways a reason can miss, including the attack on the person (going after the speaker instead of the reasons), the straw man (answering a weaker view nobody stated), and the red herring (changing the subject). You will also learn when an expert's word is good evidence and when it is not. These tests help you set aside what is loud in an argument and weigh what is relevant.

• Already covered: Week 2 mapped objections as arrows marked "against," and Week 6 tested the words inside arguments.
• This week: a fallacy versus a false premise, the attacks on the person, the straw man, appeals to fear, pity, and popularity, the red herring, and the appeal to authority.
• How they connect: a straw man is an objection whose arrow lands on a box that is not on the map.
• Where we're going next: Week 8, Midterm Review & Exam.

Focus

When does a reason bear on the conclusion, and when does it only seem to?

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• [ ] tell a fallacy from a false premise using the relevance test
• [ ] name the attack on the person, the you-too, and the circumstantial attack, and spot a fair point about testimony
• [ ] map a real objection and spot a straw man that replaces it
• [ ] check an appeal to authority for relevant expertise, agreement, and no stake

To-do

Plan your week

1. Read Chapter 7 (about 40 minutes), then the lecture and slides.
2. Work the lecture tutorial (60–90 minutes) and the practice set (about 20 minutes).
3. Do the Argument Workshop (about 90 minutes), the discussion, and the assignment.
4. Take the quiz.

This week's checkpoint: explain why "she failed a math class in high school" does not bear on whether the treasurer's budget adds up.

You've got this

Take it in order, and ask your instructor if a step snags.

Built with The Course Maker · samples.thecoursemaker.com