The new fallacy: Argumentum ad pēval

Logic is timeless, but the Internet Age has its own fallacy

Water funnel by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

A fallacy is a type of incorrect reasoning. There are many kinds of fallacies. Some are “red herrings,” attempts to mislead and deflect.

Commonly recognized fallacies include:

• appeal to force (Latin: argumentum ad baculum) — Example: “Agree with me or I will hurt you.”
• appeal to authority (Latin: argumentum ad verecundiam, or sometimes ipse dixit, “he said so”) — Example: “Our manager’s manager said it’s true.”
• appeal to the majority (Latin: argumentum ad populum) — Example: “85 percent of people are on my side.”
• tu quoque (English: you, too) — Example: “You sound hypocritical because your behavior implies the opposite.”
• ad hominem (English: regarding the man) — Example: “The person who provided that information isn’t very smart and takes bribes.”

Since logic doesn’t change, logical flaws shouldn’t either. Certain types of flaws may, however, become more commonplace in certain situations. One has a special place in the early 21st century.

Here’s an example:

Person A: During the thousand days that the current U.S. president has held office, he has made over…