Logic Lesson of the Day: False Dilemma

[Creideiki]

From Wikipedia:

A false dilemma (also called false dichotomy, the either-or fallacy, fallacy of false choice, black-and-white thinking or the fallacy of exhaustive hypotheses) is a type of logical fallacy that involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there are additional options (sometimes shades of grey between the extremes). For example, "It wasn't medicine that cured Ms. X, so it must have been a miracle."

False dilemma can arise intentionally, when fallacy is used in an attempt to force a choice ("If you are not with us, you are against us.") But the fallacy can also arise simply by accidental omission of additional options rather than by deliberate deception (e.g., "I thought we were friends, but all my friends were at my apartment last night and you weren't there.")

When Obama said that there were two proposals--His Grand Bargain, and the Republican's Slash and Burn Plan, that's a False Dilemma. There is a continuum that extends far beyond either. The People's Budget (unfortunate name, so Whiteout the name and put Obama's name over it) addresses the deficit far more adeptly than either of the plans mentioned by Obama.

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. It is not a problem of logic

Certainly, there are a near infinite variety of possible approaches to both the debt and the debt ceiling. The problem is which solution on this near infinite continuum is doable given the current political configuration. Hell, Aristotle knew that there was a distinction between problems of logic and problems of politics: it's why he wrote the Politics and the Rhetoric to supplement the Topics, and the prior and Posterior Analytics. The actual dilemma here is default or do not default. That's the only "dilemma" that gives itself up of logical consideration. Obama was not presenting a "dilemma" at all: he was not saying that here are two logical options among which we must choose. He was presenting a problem of the possible and probable, which is properly the realm of rhetoric rather than logic strictly speaking (as Aristotle insists). He was outlining two strategies that he sees as possible given the concrete conditions. Now, you might think that other options are possible, and I'd be happy to see an argument for how the People's Budget passes the House of Representatives, which can't even bring itself to pass Boehner's obnoxious plan, but you actually have to do that work. You can't simply look up logical fallacies that don't even apply on Wikipedia and pretend that that's a sufficient answer. It is not, and never will be.

[FrenchieCat]

2. !

[Creideiki]

6. Frenchie, I know it's off topic,

but do you have a good recipe for oil and vinegar dressing? I'm at a loss.

[FrenchieCat]

7. Coincidental that you would ask that out of the blue.....and as an OT question at that.....

I'm sure! :eyes:

But Just google FrenchieCat and Oil and Vinegar dressing, and you'll find it!

Plus, I think if you go to sites that cannot be mentioned here,
you can read an entire mocking of my posting of such a recipe a few years back,
when folks were genuinely obsessed with me personally.

It was a hoot when I ran accross those postings and realized that those poor folks
simply had nothing better to do, and that I was giving them a reason to live! :rofl:

[Creideiki]

3. Default or not default is a dichotomy--a true dilemma

The proposals given don't.

[CakeGrrl]

5. While yours was far more eloquent, I took the short route in this OP's other thread:

"What are the chances of this other option passing both chambers of Congress"?

Reality. What an inconvenient thing.

[xchrom]

4. Recommend