Re: Logical Fallacies [Remedial education for Nessie]
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2024 3:01 pm
By "get down to business," I mean doing actual research and debate instead of handwaving everything.Nessie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 9:51 amYou are dodging so many points I have made and that AI is not agreeing with you the way you think it is!Archie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 5:29 amIf there is disagreement over the particulars of witness testimony, that must be settled by detailed arguments and discussion. It can't be settled by LAZY and CONFUSED mumbling about fallacies. STOP WASTING EVERYONE'S TIME with this rubbish and let's get down to business.Nessie wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 8:16 pm You refuse to engage with possible explanations for why the witnesses appear implausible, such as they made mistakes, exaggerated, used figures of speech or hyperbole, made erroneous estimations regarding sizes or distances, misremembered dates or times and mixed hearsay with what they saw. Revisionists reject the claims about mass gassing and pyres, based on their arguments that they are implausible as described, therefore the witnesses lied, whereas there are scientific studies about witnesses, recall and memory that explain their descriptions. You have shifted into the territory of argument from incredulity.
By business, you mean you tell me why you think 100% of the witnesses variously lied about gassings, mass cremations, mass graves and pyres, because of their implausible, incredible descriptions. I then point out that those witnesses are corroborated by each other and other evidence, which is a far more reliable method for determining truthfulness than your biased opinion. It is the method used by historians, lawyers, journalists and other investigators and ignored by revisionists.
You are the one who is lazy and confused, by refusing to learn about the studies of witnesses, memory and recall and your confusion over what is a logically flawed argument.
Critiquing witness statements is not a fallacy. Naturally people might disagree over whether a particular thing is a major vs minor error. But you cannot assume as an absolute principle that all witness errors we point out are "minor."Q: Is it a fallacy to point out contradictions and errors in witness statements?
A: No, it is not a fallacy to point out contradictions and errors in witness statements. Identifying inconsistencies is a valid and important part of critically evaluating the reliability and credibility of testimony. However, how those contradictions are interpreted and used in an argument can determine whether a fallacy is committed.
---
### **When Pointing Out Contradictions is NOT a Fallacy**
1. **Evaluating Credibility**:
- Contradictions and errors can reasonably lead to doubts about the reliability of a witness.
- Example: "The witness claimed the event happened at midnight but also said it occurred during daylight. This inconsistency raises questions about their reliability."
- This is a rational observation, not a fallacy.
2. **Testing Consistency**:
- Consistency is an important criterion for determining the accuracy of statements. Highlighting contradictions is part of a sound critical analysis process.
---
### **When It Could Be a Fallacy**
1. **Fallacy of Overgeneralization**:
- If you dismiss the entirety of a witness's testimony based on a minor contradiction or an irrelevant error, you might commit the *fallacy of composition* or overgeneralization.
- Example: "The witness got the date wrong, so everything they say must be false." This is an unjustified leap.
2. **Strawman Fallacy**:
- If you exaggerate or misrepresent the significance of a contradiction to discredit the witness entirely, that’s a *strawman fallacy*.
- Example: "They said the car was blue, but later called it green. Clearly, they’re lying about everything."
3. **Appeal to Perfection**:
- Expecting absolute perfection from a witness and dismissing their testimony due to minor, human errors could be an unreasonable standard. This might border on fallacious reasoning.
---
### **Key Considerations**
- **Nature of the Contradictions**: Are the inconsistencies about critical facts (e.g., location of the event) or minor details (e.g., clothing color)?
- **Pattern of Errors**: Are the contradictions isolated mistakes or part of a broader pattern of unreliable testimony?
- **Relevance**: Do the contradictions significantly affect the key issues of the case or argument?
---
### **Conclusion**
Pointing out contradictions in witness statements is not a fallacy in itself. It becomes problematic only if the contradictions are used improperly, such as to overgeneralize or misrepresent the reliability of the witness without sufficient justification. Properly done, identifying contradictions is a crucial part of critical thinking and analysis.
I also challenged you recently to quote a single example of a revisionist saying that 100% of the witnesses lied about everything and you failed, yet you still persist in characterizing the revisionist position in this slanted way.