Motivation

Assumptions and Fallacies

Robert Slade

HUM/111

06-15-2014

Mrs. Payne

Assumptions and Fallacies

Oxford English Dictionary (2014) defines assumptions as, "the action of taking to one's self; reception, adoption." Assumptions might interfere with critical thinking when you make them because they can hinder your ability to thoroughly and efficiently examine the situation and collect data.

Ruggiero (2012) listed these strategies to help avoid making assumptions in your thinking, 1. Do not believe that others familiar with the problem or issue will share your enthusiasm for your ideas, 2. Do not believe that small imperfections in your idea will not affect people's acceptance of it, 3. Do not assume that just because your idea is clear to you that it will be apparent to others. Last but not least you should not assume that the people who stand to benefit the most from your idea will accept it automatically without you having to persuade them. Assumption interferes with the conclusions to issues and problems all to often so one most try to eliminate them all together when using critical thinking.

"Sophistical nature, unsoundness (of arguments), a delusive notion, a deceptive or misleading argument, aptness to deceive, unreliability, guile, deception, and trickery," all defines the word fallacy according to the Oxford English Dictionary (2014). Fictional novels and magazines are some places authors use fallacies in their work. Oral fallacies can happen when someone is telling a story firsthand, but they are given it to you from their perspective instead of relaying how it may have happened. When I think of visual arguments that contain fallacies, the first thing that comes to mind are political ads and company ads that compare their products with other company products competing for you the consumer. Ways to avoid fallacies in your thinking is to think carefully, you should not assume that because it is your idea that is it best, reason with yourself and...