Michael Withey - Mastering Logical Fallacies: The Definitive Guide to Flawless Rhetoric and Bulletproof Logic

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IVE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF ARGUMENTS as a game of chessthere are rules, and beyond those, there are countless moves you might make, some more strategic than others. The worst players, then, those that fall for cheap tricks, commit avoidable blunders and thus are easily beaten, are those without a good understanding of these rules and tactics. If I have learned anything in ten years of formal debating, it is that arguments are no different: without a good understanding of the rules and tactics, you are likely to do poorly and be beaten.

Some things are patently true and others obviously false. Most people can spot those immediately. As it happens, everything else in the world is not this clear, especially when it comes to the complex matters that policymakers, business leaders, and academics agonize over: How much domestic surveillance on our governments behalf is acceptable? How should economic development proceed, when it is at the expense of the environment? What kind of duty, if any, do children have towards their parents? What is it I personally and we, collectively, should want out of life?

Mastering chess and mastering arguments do differ, then, in one very important respect: not everyone must learn to play chess, but everyone, without exception, will encounter arguments. Learning the rules and tactics of debating (the subject of this book) is nothing less than an essential life skill, like learning proper grammar, or being able to cook. True, you might still be able to survive without becoming a master of any of these, but your life will likely be measurably compromised.

How is it, exactly, that mastering arguments makes your life better? To start with, it helps help you find answers to questions of political, economics, academic, and personal import. Fundamentally, these questions ask you to weigh, often speculatively, many different, and frequently opposing, issues and value propositions. In other words, they clearly leave room for argument, so it is no surprise that the best answers come from those with the most convincing grasp of the arguments.

Perhaps, above all, you want to avoid being fooled by someone elses logical sleight of hand. The fact that this book can provide a long list of real-life examples of abuses of reasons indicates just how likely it is that you may be won over by one, or that you already have. Everyone, from our relatives to our coworkers to our elected officials, has a vested interest in convincing us about theories that may be false, or against our own interest, because it is in their interest to do so. How will you be able to hold these people accountable, if you cannot realize you are being deceived in the first place?

Awareness, then, is the key, and that is precisely the skill this book teaches. Like other life skills, recognizing when abuses of logic are being perpetrated eventually becomes second natureyou just know it when something seems fishy about an argument. And, like the other skills, everyone must start with an instructional manual before they can eventually become proficient.

Ultimately, this proficiency will refine your dealings with others in two ways. First, when a logical tresspass occurs, you will not be fooled! Instead, you will be able to point it out. A devastating comeback is, as we know, often the end of an argument. Sometimes, it can add a gloss of authority to your comeback if you use the precise name of a fallacy, but the majority of everyday conversations probably command a more subtle approach. This book makes particular note of how you might appropriately craft your response.

Secondly, and most importantly, youll find you construct better arguments of your own (and avoid being on the receiving end of a stinging comeback). Recognizing the vulnerabilities of others arguments means recognizing your potential vulnerabilities as well. This is incredibly useful because in your everyday life you are constantly expected to convince someone of something: an interviewer, a teacher, a sibling, a friend, etc.

Finally, you will be able to better answer all those questions of public and private importance for yourself, rather than be seduced by someone elses word for it. The best thinkers are the best arguers, defenders of their point of view, and there is no reason you cant be one of them. In this respect, arguments are indeed like chesswatching the best is beautiful, if only because their brilliance is obvious.

Have I made a sound argument for studying the contents of this book? There is one way to find out: master the rules and tactics of arguments. As a friend would, I cannot recommend more strongly that you do.

Henry Zhang

ARGUMENTS ARE EVERYWHERE: turn on your TV, flick through the channels, and you will, no doubt, come across some demagogue giving a spiel about why you should vote for him, rather than some other schlub. Break to commercials, and an advertisement will promise you that, if you use this or that deodorant, women will fall at your feet. Turn off your TV, have dinner with your family: no doubt your uncle will start telling you about why you should fix your engine gasket, or who to vote for in the next election.