Fallacies of Intrusion
A category of logical fallacies where arguments introduce unwarranted or irrelevant elements, violating the principle of not claiming more than is known.
THE IDEA
Fallacies of Intrusion
The difficulty in philosophy is to say no more than we know.
— Ludwig Wittgenstein
When to use it
Detecting when a debater cites evidence that is irrelevant or not actually supported.
Evaluating scientific conclusions that overstate the implications of data.
Checking personal assumptions for unwarranted leaps.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How might the fallacy of intrusion appear in everyday arguments about politics or science?
In what ways does Wittgenstein’s quote apply to your own reasoning process?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Informal Logical Fallacies A Brief Guide