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Understanding Sound Reasoning and Fallacies

This document provides a lesson plan for a class on writing reaction papers and identifying fallacies in reasoning. The lesson will teach students about sound reasoning, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and common fallacies like bandwagon, hasty generalization, red herring, and either-or reasoning. Students will learn to identify these fallacies in advertisements. They will work in groups to analyze examples in a table. The lesson aims to help students discern information and arguments critically. An assessment asks students to identify fallacies in different scenarios.

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166 views4 pages

Understanding Sound Reasoning and Fallacies

This document provides a lesson plan for a class on writing reaction papers and identifying fallacies in reasoning. The lesson will teach students about sound reasoning, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and common fallacies like bandwagon, hasty generalization, red herring, and either-or reasoning. Students will learn to identify these fallacies in advertisements. They will work in groups to analyze examples in a table. The lesson aims to help students discern information and arguments critically. An assessment asks students to identify fallacies in different scenarios.

Uploaded by

Loch Solidum
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Kidapawan City National High School

Roxas St. Kidapawan City

Module Title & CG Code: English for Academic and Professional Purposes
CS_EN11/12A-EAPP
Teacher’s Name: SHEENA F. CORDOVA, LPT
Session Number: First Quarter/Unit 1-Lesson 5
Time Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

CONTENT: Writing the Reaction Paper/Review/ Critique

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of the period, the students can:


1. Identify fallacies used in advertisements.

LECTURE NOTES:

Before you learn about the different fallacies used in reasoning, you need to know the meaning of sound
reasoning. To know the meaning of these questions, do the next activity.

What will you do in each situation? Write a short answer and share it with the class.

1.) You noticed that your favorite cup is at the edge of the table. You
will_________________________________________________________________________
2.) You smell smoke coming from the kitchen where you are cooking a cup of rice for an hour now.
You will ____________________________________________________________________
3.) You seek dark clouds above, and you are about to take a short walk to the store to buy
something. You will ___________________________________________________________
4.) You see flies swarming over the food on the table. You will
___________________________________________________________________________
5.) You noticed that your colds are not getting any better after taking the prescribed medicine for a
week. You will ________________________________________________________________

Observe sound reasoning in making judgments and decisions.

Sound Reasoning
Sound reasoning is used every day. In fact, we make decisions and judgements based on sound
reasoning, even in the most insignificant thing we do for the day. There are two well-known types of
sound reasoning: deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning.

Deductive Reasoning is from a general statement to a specific one. For example, your prior knowledge
tells you that Moslems do not eat pork. Your boss is a Moslem. You will not take him to restaurant that
serves only lechon because you know that eating pork is not allowed in his faith.

You can present the statements in the following way:


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Kidapawan City National High School
Roxas St. Kidapawan City

Moslems do not eat pork.


My boss is a Moslem.
Therefore, he does not eat pork.

Inductive Reasoning is from specific to general. For instance, because you are sick with influenza,
you just stayed home and didn’t go to school. You texted your classmates and asked him to tell your
teacher that you are sick with the flu. Your classmate texted back and told you that he also has a flu.
You logged in to your social media account. You saw that most people are complaining of getting sick
with the flu. From these similar incidences, you concluded that there’s an outbreak of the flu.

Your logical reasoning can be arranged like this:


I am sick with influenza.
My classmate is also sick with influenza.
Most of my friends in social media are complaining of getting sick with influenza.
There is an influenza outbreak.

Fallacies in Reasoning
A fallacy in reasoning makes an argument false or unreliable. Here are a few most common fallacies
in reasoning:

1.) Bandwagon --- This is a reasoning based on popularity rather than on scientific evidence or
facts.

2.) Hasty generalization --- This is reaching a conclusion without enough pieces of evidence or
further studies.

3.) Red herring --- Is an argument that distracts the opponent away from the real issue and leads
them to an irrelevant issue.

4.) Attack on a person --- This reasoning attacks the person instead of the issue.

5.) Either-or reasoning --- This presents only two alternatives and acts as if there are no other
choices.

You are a member of the media and communications club in your school. Part of your club’s
activities is to spread awareness of the different fallacies used in media. You and two other members
are tasked by your club president to present in table format how these fallacies are seen in
advertisements. The first column indicates the fallacies, and the second column names the specific
product. Meanwhile, in the third column is the message of the advertisement and how the fallacy was
used. There should be at least two sample products for each category of fallacy.

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Kidapawan City National High School
Roxas St. Kidapawan City

Fallacy Product How the Fallacy Was Used

Bandwagon
Hasty generalization
Red herring
Either-or reasoning

Fallacies or unreliable statements can be encountered in daily life. Therefore, you must learn how
to discern the information you get properly. Fallacies are found everywhere. It is up to you whether
you believe them or not.

ASSESSMENT:

Identify the fallacy used in the following scenarios:

1.) A whitening facial wash says that you should have clear, white skin or else you won’t find true
love.
___________________________________________________________________________
2.) A political candidate says that the incumbent governor is incompetent because he could not
solve the country’s poverty issue; therefore, that governor should be replaced by someone else
who is better.
___________________________________________________________________________
3.) Those who were against the reproductive health bill focused on the issue of abortion and how it
is so immorally against the Christian faith.
___________________________________________________________________________
4.) An advertisement says that bright students drink this memory-enhancing pill. So, if you are not
yet taking this vitamin, then you are left out.
___________________________________________________________________________

5.) A news reporter said that college students are not happy with the current governor who cancels
classes at all levels. The reporter was able to talk to only five students in one particular school.
___________________________________________________________________________

RESOURCES:
Mondez, R.G. 2016. DIWA Senior High School Series: English for Academic and
Professional Purposes
Pages 41-47.

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Kidapawan City National High School
Roxas St. Kidapawan City

ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: PowerPoint Presentations

SUPPLEMENTAL LEARNING MATERIALS:

Common questions

Powered by AI

In academic debates, hasty generalization can undermine the quality of arguments by leading to conclusions that lack sufficient empirical support, which devalues the discourse and may propagate misinformation. A red herring can derail discussions by diverting attention from key issues to irrelevant topics, impeding the logical flow of arguments and preventing the resolution of the original problem . This negatively affects critical thinking and the academic rigor of the discussion .

Relying on either-or reasoning can lead to oversimplified decisions that ignore the complexity of real-world problems. It limits the perception of available options, potentially leading to misguided decisions that do not account for alternative solutions or mitigating factors. This can hinder innovation and problem-solving in both personal decision-making and larger societal issues .

Understanding fallacies allows individuals to critically evaluate advertisements by helping them identify when persuasive techniques are based on unsound logic. For instance, recognizing a red herring fallacy can help one see when an advertisement distracts from the primary message, while identifying an either-or fallacy can reveal overly simplistic choices that ignore other alternatives . This awareness fosters better decision-making and skepticism about promotional content .

Inductive reasoning allows individuals to observe patterns and form general conclusions, which can then be tested or refined by deductive reasoning. For instance, one might notice a pattern of flu symptoms in their community through inductive reasoning and conclude there's an outbreak. Deductive reasoning can then apply this general conclusion to specific cases, such as determining the likelihood of flu in people exhibiting similar symptoms . Together, they provide a comprehensive framework for making informed and reliable decisions .

Differentiating between a fallacy and a sound argument is crucial in professional settings to maintain credibility and make informed decisions. Fallacies can foster misunderstandings or promote decisions based on false assumptions, leading to negative outcomes for businesses or teams. Understanding and identifying these fallacies ensure that communications are grounded in logic and evidence, supporting effective decision-making and fostering trust within professional relationships .

Practicing sound reasoning aids problem-solving by providing a structured approach to decisions through logical deduction or induction. For instance, identifying your plans based on weather predictions (inductive reasoning) or deciding not to engage with potentially harmful elements based on past experiences (deductive reasoning) ensures decisions are made with careful consideration, reducing errors and enhancing the effectiveness of everyday problem-solving .

Fallacies significantly influence public opinion by framing issues in a misleading way that appeals to emotions rather than rational analysis. For example, an attack on a person fallacy targets an individual's character rather than addressing their policies or viewpoints, which can unfairly damage their reputation in the public eye . Either-or reasoning can limit perceived options in political debates, thereby narrowing the scope for public discourse and informed decision-making .

Fallacies in reasoning can undermine the reliability and credibility of media communications by presenting arguments that are not logically sound. For example, a bandwagon fallacy might persuade audiences based on popularity instead of factual evidence, while a hasty generalization might lead to conclusions drawn from insufficient data . By using fallacies, messages may mislead or divert attention from the actual issues, which reduces the effectiveness of the communication .

Deductive reasoning moves from a general premise to a specific conclusion, such as deducing that a Muslim person does not eat pork given the general rule that Muslims don't eat pork . Inductive reasoning, on the other hand, starts from specific observations and moves towards a general conclusion, like concluding there is an influenza outbreak after observing several cases of flu among classmates and on social media .

It's important for members of a media and communications club to learn about fallacies in advertisements to develop critical media literacy skills. By identifying fallacies like bandwagon or hasty generalization, they can question the authenticity and motive behind persuasive content and educate others about misleading tactics commonly found in advertisements . This skill helps in creating a more informed consumer base and promotes ethical advertising practices .

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