Scaling up Logical Fallacies

How Thinking Traps can Affect the World at-Large

Man committing a “No True Scotsman” fallacy forced to eat hemlock in front of his peers. circa 500 BC, Greece (colorized)

We make decisions every day. Most are conscious decisions, which are based on our thinking and beliefs. For example,

I look in the cabinet because I believe chicken soup is inside. Homeopathic therapies are better because they are natural.

Logical fallacies are errors in thinking that may lead to incorrect beliefs. Actions that spring from those erroneous beliefs have a stronger chance of being sub-optimal for the individual undertaking those actions, even if they don’t directly realize or observe it. This wouldn’t be so concerning if they were the only one person in the world, but beliefs and actions have the potential to affect others. For example, if I don’t think vaccines will help my child, I may neglect to vaccinate her. This child might then catch measles and infect other children too young to be vaccinated, whom then go on to die. Like a modern day, real-life Grimm fairy tale.

This may be a rare (and extreme) occurrence, but it’s not so far-fetched to think that billions of fallacy-influenced interactions occurring every day have a strong chance of affecting the world in a significantly negative way.

If we are not cognizant of them, the products of fallacious thinking inevitably build up and warp our picture of the world from actual reality. For instance, a great number of people think the inauguration of President Trump is a terrible development. Many others are celebrating what they perceive as a fantastic triumph. The undesirable consequence here is that conflict arises if both sides are adamant that they are completely in the right, without further epistemological introspection (thinking about how we know what we know) or any attempt at mutual understanding. We can apply the same line to any argument. Many wonderful relationships have ended (and many malicious doctrines have been born) due to fallacious thinking and polarized worldviews.

Additionally, being unaware of how our thoughts and beliefs are formed also leaves one vulnerable to emotional manipulation and fear-mongering tactics. Advertisers for companies as well as political parties take full advantage of this, using known human fallacies and quirks to sell magazines or mobilize for/against a particular candidate. In the first widely successful advertising campaign, Eddie Bernays attached pleasant unconscious feelings to cigarettes in order to sell to women. That was in the 1920’s — but the same applies today. Think of why some people take for granted ideas like “Trump hates Mexicans”, or “Hillary is corrupt” and you will find directed campaigns to inspire these messages in the public (often with a complicit news media).

Exposure to these pressures may encourage complacency where there is room for more fact-finding. On the large scale logical fallacies can exert their effect in a democracy in who we vote for, and furthermore what products we decide to purchase will direct the economy. As mentioned before, fallacies influence the many billions of personal interactions happening every day between individuals.