This flashcard describes the fallacy of the undistributed middle, a logical error in categorical syllogisms where the middle term is not related to the other two terms. Examples are provided to illustrate how this fallacy can lead to invalid conclusions.
Esta tarjeta de memoria describe la falacia del medio no distribuido, un error lógico en los silogismos categóricos donde el término medio no se relaciona con los otros dos términos. Se proporcionan ejemplos para ilustrar cómo esta falacia puede llevar a conclusiones inválidas.
| Fallacy | fallacy if the undistributed middle |
|---|---|
| Definition and Examples | (also known as: undistributed middle term) Description: A formal fallacy in a categorical syllogism where themiddle term, or the term that does not appear in the conclusion, is not distributed to the other two terms. Logical Form: All A's are C's. All B's are C's. Therefore, all A’s are B’s. Example #1: All lions are animals. All cats are animals. Therefore, all lions are cats. Explanation: We are tricked because the conclusion makes sense, so out of laziness we accept the argument, but the argument is invalid, and by plugging in new terms, like in the next example, we can see why. Example #2: All ghosts are imaginary. All unicorns are imaginary. Therefore, all ghosts are unicorns. Explanation: While there may be ghosts that are unicorns, it does not follow from the premises: the only thing the premises tell us about ghosts and unicorns is that they are both imaginary -- we have no information how they are related to each other |
Tags: fallacies
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