Sources of Illogical Thinking

1. Skepticism is a mistake in reasoning when it is not selectively employed. Selectively employed skepticism means that we should reserve judgement until we have sufficient information at hand to judge responsibly, However, skepticism becomes a mistake in reasoning when we have it as a permanent attitude because this subverts the reasoning process before it even gets started, transforming it into a process of misreasoning. An agnostic is someone who maintains that he lacks enough knowledge regarding a particular issue to be able to make a definite judgement about it. Unlike a skeptic, an agnostic neither denies the existence of truth nor its attainability. An example of agnosticism as a mistake in reasoning is evasive agnosticism, using ignorance as an excuse rather than a reason, and such ignorance is the result of ignorance or laziness. Narrow-mindedness is a mistake in reasoning when one refuses to consider certain alternatives only because they do not meet his prejudiced assumptions about what is and what is not worth pursuing. Unlike agnostics, narrow-minded people do not use ignorance as an excuse but instead impose limitations on something. Unlike skeptics, narrow-minded people do not make premature judgements but instead solely on their prejudices. 
2. Example of Evasive Agnosticism: Suppose my math teacher asks me to research Unit Circle Trigonometry so I can give a mini-presentation to the class. If I do not bother to research Unit Circle Trigonometry and say that "I don't know" after I haven't bothered to research, I succumb to evasive agnosticism. In this case, I am using ignorance as an excuse, and my ignorance is the result of my laziness to complete my assignment. 

Reason as a Way of Knowing - Logical Fallacies

1.   
• Fallacy: Middle Ground (also known as Golden Mean Fallacy & Fallacy of Moderation)
• Definition: Person #1 and Person #2 hold two radically different positions on a subject. Person #3's position on the subject is halfway between that of Person #1 and Person #2. The fallacy is that Person #3's position is correct simply because he holds the middle position. 
• Example: I believe that there is a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all good. Someone else is an atheist, meaning that he believes that no God exists at all. The fallacy is to assume that another classmate who is agnostic, meaning he acknowledges the possibility of God but does not believe in Him, is correct because he holds the "neutral" position.  
2.   
• Fallacy: Two Wrongs Make a Right
• Definition: Person #2 claims that Person #1 would do (insert anything here) to him and thus it is acceptable for Person #2 to do this back to Person #1 if Person #2's actions are not preventive measures. This reasoning is fallacious because an action that is wrong is wrong even if another person would also do it. 
• Example: Sturgis soccer is playing an opposing team, and the players on that opposing team are extremely physical. During the game, one of the players on the opposing team trips me. The fallacy is to assume that I can trip this person again. 
3.  
• Fallacy: Appeal to Common Practice
• Definition: C is a common action, and C is therefore correct, reasonable, moral, etc. The fallacy is assuming that because most people do something it is correct, reasonable, or moral. 
• Example: Suppose you are driving on Rt. 28 on your way to school, and you estimate that 75% of the drivers are going over the speed limit. The fallacy is to believe it is justified to drive over the speed limit because that is what everyone else is doing. 

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMt6TFO0zn4

Fallacy: Appeal to Popularity

In this video, CoverGirl uses celebrity Taylor Swift to attract customers. CoverGirl has Taylor tell the ad watchers to buy Covergirl mascara and lipstick to "rock the covergirls we are." Through Taylor Swift's use of CoverGirl's products and endorsement of them, CoverGirl hopes that ordinary girls will see the ad as good reason to buy their products. 

Sense Perception - Knowledge Issues

I recently listened to two film clips, one on a study of patients in a vegetative state at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8497148.stm and on synesthesia at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stwzvpnnlqA. 

Following are sample knowledge issues questions relating to the real-life situations - studies of patients in vegetative states and studies on people with synesthesia respectively.

• Studies of patients in vegetative states: What role does reason play in justifying ethical decisions? 
• Studies on people with synesthesia: To what extent can research in the natural sciences use mathematical techniques to analyze the data?