Introduction
It is common for academics, politicians, and ordinary people to argue and support their positions. In some cases, when there are no strong proofs or one is confused about what to argue about, logic disappears from one’s statements, and logical fallacies occur. However, to have healthier debates and find common ground in important public discussions, Americans have to apply logical reasoning in their statements.
The Importance of Logic
To begin with, logic has to play the primary role in the modern argument. Precise logic allows distinguishing between sound and weak argumentation and understanding whether a fact or proof provided is strong and relevant. Since various types of reasoning exist, I would select the deductive approach when researching the argument that I developed in this course. This approach allows one to draw logical conclusions and is reliable if the initial premise is correct.
Examples of Logical Fallacies
Several logical fallacies can be encountered frequently in daily experiences with the news, politics, and advertising. For instance, people usually face hasty generalization fallacies, which are statements that are not backed up by any real or substantial statistics and information. Advertisement of Honey Nut Cheerios cereal is an excellent example of this fallacy used in media. It is stated that this product is America’s favorite, but this claim is not supported by research or surveys, which misleads customers.
Secondly, it is standard for advertisers or newsagents to use a causal fallacy. The latter allows them to make connections between two poorly related or unrelated events, confusing the audience and making them believe in this cause-and-effect link without any evidence. Thus, the Axe brand is known to use this fallacy when stating that their deodorants are the reason why men attract women. Evidently, this can happen in real life; proofs are required to be certain that the deodorant is why females choose the male in the picture.
Thirdly, a slippery slope fallacy is similar to the logical error explored above but refers to a sequence of events. To be more precise, such statements draw connections between a number of unrelated steps that eventually lead to a negative, overly dramatic outcome. Several DirecTV commercials can serve as examples of slippery slope fallacies: in one of them, it is stated that having a cable will make one’s dad hurt. These three logical errors are frequently used because it is easy to make people believe such wrongful statements.
The Benefits of Arguments
Further, for many humans, the term argument often refers to a complicated and adverse process. Jones (2010) states that this is because this concept is closely related to the metaphor of war. However, this association should be removed from US culture. To foster a healthier environment for productive debate, Americans need to remember that argument is more effectively linked to deliberation, dialogue, and collaboration than to conflicts.
It is still possible for humans to find common ground in acute public concerns and discussions. Although there are many participants from complex and diverse cultures, we are all people who are interested in improving this world and living better lives. Since it is impossible without collaboration and healthy argumentation, individuals have to use logic and avoid fallacies to agree about the most critical problems.
Conclusion
To conclude, the value of logic and reasoning cannot be overestimated, and it is essential to connect this concept with deliberation instead of opposition. Different logical errors are actively used in advertising, news, and other media sources, confusing people. However, if clear logic is selected over these fallacies, humans can have healthy discussions about acute concerns and come to mutually beneficial conclusions.
References
Hewelt, J. (2014). DIRECTV (Don’t have your dad get punched over a can of soup) [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Honey Nut Cheerios® bee-comes America’s favorite cereal. (2011). Business Wire. Web.
Jones, R. (2010). Finding the good argument or why bother with logic? [PDF document]. Web.
Indeed Editorial Team. (2022). 7 types of reasoning (with definitions and examples). Indeed. Web.