Informal Logic

Is it possible to be overwhelmingly oppressive or to survive overwhelming oppression?

“Argumentum ad baculum… the fallacy committed when one appeals to force or the threat of force to acceptance of a conclusion… One participates in argumentum ad baculum when one points out the negative consequences of holding the contrary position (ex. believe what I say, or I will hit you). It is a specific case of the negative form of an argument to the consequences.” Wiki

In this fascist argumentative strategy facts are ignored. Arguments’ stated premises fail to support proposed conclusions resulting in an “informal fallacy.”

Informal logic is the examination of ‘natural language arguments’ which are not deductive and the study of fallacies is important since informal logic is not logic at all. If Man Of War is a horse and Man of War is red, that does not mean that all horses are red. Propositional logic states, “P implies Q and P is asserted to be true and is true, so therefore Q must be true.” True and truth are key to logic and debate.

This leads directly to a new “Fuzzy Logic,” the approach to computing (and also modern thinking) where “degrees of truth” rather than the requisite “true or false” (1 or 0 in computer speak Boolean logic) are the basis for determining answers. Even with this “Fuzzy Logic” there must be real facts and any truth to be alluded to. “Alternative facts” and falsehoods at the heart of arguments cannot prevail.

Is is very difficult for me to listen to anyone appearing to use logic while failing on so many points of logic. Go back to Aristotle who laid out rules of logic: Aristotle believed that logic and correct reasoning was the source of all knowledge. He was not wrong with this line of thought. However, Aristotle presumed that knowledge was only authentic fact. Use of logic results in all knowledge (right and wrong) especially if faulty logic is employed. It takes an understanding of statistics and scientific principle to move forward to correct inferences and conclusions. Fact, primary to fact is that high correlations do not confirm causation. They MIGHT only imply causation.

Fuzzy and faulty logic when compounded by Argumentum ad baculum appeals to the basest emotions of the populace, accounting for and legitimizing incredible injustices. Those who fail to examine the basic logic of all arguments have permitted slavery, apartheid, The Holocaust and other somewhat less atrocious but also wrong transgressions. All must examine and analyze complete debates when conclusions are posited. Assertions demand correct inference presumption for us to arrive at truth.

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people” presumes that the people will unite. People can only unite and go forward to create a “More Perfect Union” working together making conscientious, legitimate, just decisions only when properly grounded.

All oppression must end. Any oppression is overwhelming. No oppression can be tolerated. We will survive if we base our conclusions and decisions only on sound logic and scientific principle. Incorrect hypotheses when accepted as a premise have greater consequence than mere “alternative facts.” Overwhelming oppression results.

Our logic must remain formal and flawless; our future depends on this.

© stevendphilbrick sr+ 02.06.2017