[general_re]

Part 8. The fallacy of converse accident is also occasionally known as the "hasty generalization".

This closes the discussion of fallacies of presumption. Part 9 will begin the discussion of fallacies of ambiguity with an examination of the fallacy of equivocation.

[PatrickHenry]

PING. [This ping list is for the evolution side of evolution threads, and sometimes for other science topics. FReepmail me to be added or dropped.]

[PatrickHenry]

It may be that the "No True Scotsman" fallacy is related to this "Accident" fallacy. The mistaken one declares (committing the fallacy of accident): "No Scotsman puts syrup on his haggis." When presented with the example of Angus MacPherson, who always puts syrup on his haggis, the mistaken one should simply recognize that he was wrong. But if he won't, then he compounds his original fallacy, and claims: "[Harrumph!] No true Scotsman puts syrup on his haggis."

[PatrickHenry]

Please consider posting the next installment (and all subseqent threads in this series) in the main forum, and when you do so, click on the "philosophy" topic category. I'm afraid that no one is noticing this stuff here in "Chat." This series is too good to be missed. And I promise not to nag you any more about this.

[Doctor Stochastic]

A mathematician examines all numbers up to 99 and clams all numbers are less than 100.

Physicist divides 60 by 1,2,3,4,5,6 and concludes 60 is divisible by all numbers. Then because of shortage of funding, a check of 10,12,15,20,30 is made for confirmation.

An engineer checks, 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is prime, 11 is prime, 13 is prime and concludes that all numbers are prime (9 must be an experimental error.)

A computer scientist concludes 7 is prime, 7 is prime, 7 is prime, 7 is prime....