Friday, July 1, 2016

Thank You For Arguing Chapter 15







                             There is one very debatable fallacy known as the fallacy of power. The fallacy of power means believe that if the person at the top wants something, then it must be right. This type of argument can be very easily undermined by simply asking, "but how could one person's opinion always be right?", or, "are you just listening to your boss because you are sucking up to them?". However, there are some flaws to the second argument too, such as, "was that argument really fair?", "what if the boss is smart and knows the business better than anyone else?", "would it be such a bad idea to trust their opinion?" The appeal of authority can be a logical fallacy, but it can also be an important ethos tool. This is where pure logic and rhetorical logos separate. In most situations, there are no right or wrong answers, just what is most likely and what is least likely. All of the sudden, our black and white world has become a rainbow of probability. If your boss demands something, then you have good reason to believe it is legitimate, but your audience can use that against you because they are trying to persuade you, not your boss.

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