Conspiracy theory logical fallacies

[ZombieHorde]

http://warp.povusers.org/grrr/conspiracytheories.html

Article discusses various logical fallacies used by some conspiracy theorists. Now of course your favorite conspiracy theories are pretty solid and are grounded in firm logic.

Here is a list of the logical fallacies discussed, and one sentence from the article to define it. The article discusses each one in much more detail.

Appeal to the "bandwagon effect" -- The so-called "bandwagon effect" is a psychological phenomenon where people are eager to believe things if most of the people around them believe that too.


Appeal to rebellion -- Conspiracy theories in general, and the "n% of people doubt the story" claims in particular, also appeal to a sense of rebellion in people.

Shotgun argumentation -- The more small arguments or "evidence" you present in favor of some claim, the higher the probability that someone will believe you regarldess of how ridiculous those arguments are.

Straw man argumentation -- the process of taking an argument of the opponent, distorting it or taking it out of context so that it basically changes meaning, and then ridiculing it in order to make the opponent look bad.

Citing inexistent sources --There's a very common bad habit among the majority of people: They believe that credible sources have said/written whatever someone claims they have said or written.

Citing sources which are wrong -- A common tactic of conspiracy theorists is to take statements by credible persons or newspaper articles which support the conspiracy theory and present these statements or articles as if they were the truth.

Cherry-picking -- when someone deliberately selects from a wide variety of material only those items which support the conspiracy theory, while ignoring and discarding those which don't.

Argument from authority -- Sometimes some individual scientists can be deceived into believing a conspiracy theory.

Plus a bunch of others! Collect them all!

Here is the link again: http://warp.povusers.org/grrr/conspiracytheories.html

[tiny elvis]

1. hokum

1. the author is the one appealing to a psychological phenomenon

2. same as 1, but in direct contradiction

3. not a fallacy. ridiculous is an epithet unnecessary for the description

4. every dishonest debater does it. not special to any group

5. common bad habit? straw man down?

6. strange one. only makes sense when you begin with the assumption that
statements which support the conspiracy theory are wrong

7. same as 4

8. citing or referring to an individual's argument is not an argument from authority

god awful piece of work
1/10 would not click