Fallacy Ref Calls It
Fallacy Ref is the creation of Glen Welch, a performing arts critic for Red Publication. It’s “a series of image macros featuring an NFL referee calling fouls on invalid argument tactics and sneaky rhetoric.” Some examples:
I can see these coming in handy. You can read more about the project here and see more of the images on Fallacy Ref’s Facebook page. Apparently he takes requests.
He should do one on The Fallacy Fallacy: that pointing out fallacies on the internet never improves arguments or reasoning.
(Nietzsche’s version: “One chooses logical argument only when one has no other means. One knows that one arouses mistrust with it, that it is not very persuasive.” Alternately: “you catch more flies with sugar than logic.”)
That’s not what the fallacy fallacy is.
The fallacy fallacy is concluding a claim is wrong because it’s argued poorly.
By the way, he did make a meme about the fallacy fallacy.
I think exposing logical fallacies is a good thing.
While it’s true that exposed offenders rarely own up to committing fallacies, hopefully the embarrassment makes them more careful in the future .
The crime in this whole thing is that the referee’s name is Ed Hochuli… basically pronounced: AD HOC [uli]. And it ad hoc arguments aren’t even mentioned.
Yan has thrown the red challenge flag on every call. Upon further review, the calls stand, and Yan is charged with one time out.
Ugh. I can’t think of anything worse than providing more tools for the kind of people on the internet whose idea of good argument is the pointing out of fallacies (often incorrectly).
Although not identical, I think it should be pointed out that Dr. Landon Schurtz (former University of Oklahoma graduate student) did an entire page of these kinds of referee calls in philosophical argument. It can be found at http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2014/10/philosophy-signals.html . Credit where credit is due.
I believe Yan’s argument is a non-sequitur. The Fallacy Fallacy simply states that the fact that an argument contains a fallacy can’t be be used to disprove its claim. https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/the-fallacy-fallacy — In debate it’s proper to call out the fallacy and allow your opponent to prove their argument by other means. As a tactic, see Socratic Irony.
It’s true that when called on improper arguments, (some) people become very angry. Look where it got Socrates.