Conflation Fallacies

Conflation Fallacies

Conflation fallacies are a type of logical fallacy that occur when two distinct concepts are merged or confused, leading to flawed reasoning. This type of fallacy is often committed when someone fails to distinguish between two different things or ideas, and treats them as if they were the same. For example, if someone argues that because two things share a similar name, they must be the same thing, they are committing a conflation fallacy. One common type of conflation fallacy is the fallacy of equivocation. This occurs when a word or phrase is used in multiple senses within an argument, leading to confusion or ambiguity. For example, if someone argues that banks are full of money, and river banks are also full of money, so river banks must be just as good as real banks, they are committing a fallacy of equivocation by using the word bank in two different senses. Another type of conflation fallacy is the fallacy of composition. This occurs when someone assumes that what is true of the parts must also be true of the whole. For example, if someone argues that because individual grains of sand are tiny, a beach made up of those grains must also be tiny, they are committing a fallacy of composition. It is important to be aware of conflation fallacies, as they can lead to flawed reasoning and incorrect conclusions. By understanding the different types of conflation fallacies, we can avoid making these mistakes in our own thinking and better evaluate the arguments of others.

logical fallacy, flawed reasoning, equivocation, ambiguity, fallacy of composition

— Christopher Jackson

CITATION : "Christopher Jackson. 'Conflation Fallacies.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=362550 (Accessed on July 16, 2025)"