Affirming a disjunct is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone assumes that one of two mutually exclusive statements must be true, based on the fact that the other statement is false. In other words, if someone believes that either A or B is true, and then they discover that A is false, they might assume that B must be true, without any evidence to support that conclusion. This fallacy is sometimes referred to as the false dilemma or the excluded middle fallacy, because it involves excluding the possibility of other alternatives that may exist between the two options presented. One common example of affirming a disjunct is the argument that if you're not with us, you're against us. This argument assumes that there are only two possible positions on a given issue, and that anyone who doesn't agree with one side must automatically be on the other side. However, this overlooks the possibility that there may be other positions that exist between the two extremes. Another example of affirming a disjunct is the argument that either God exists or the universe came into being by chance. This argument assumes that these are the only two possible explanations for the existence of the universe, and that if one is false, the other must be true. However, this ignores the possibility that there may be other explanations that we haven't yet discovered or considered. In order to avoid affirming a disjunct, it's important to recognize that there may be other possibilities that exist beyond the two options presented. It's also important to avoid making assumptions based on incomplete or insufficient evidence, and to remain open to alternative explanations that may challenge our existing beliefs.
logical fallacy, false dilemma, excluded middle, mutually exclusive, alternatives
Affirming a disjunct is a type of cognitive bias that occurs when someone believes one statement to be true, and then assumes that a different statement must also be true, without any evidence to support it. For example, if someone believes that all cats are mammals, they might assume that all cats must have four legs, even if they don't know if that is true. This is an example of affirming a disjunct, because the statement about cats being mammals is true, but the statement about cats having four legs may not be true.
Affirming a disjunct, logical fallacies, cognitive biases, assumptions, evidence.
CITATION : "Thomas Lee. 'Affirming A Disjunct.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=214327 (Accessed on October 23, 2024)"
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