Fallacies Explained: Why Bad Arguments Fail

In this video, I define fallacies as argumentation anti-patterns — the bad structures or styles of reasoning that break the rules of good argumentation. A fallacy makes an argument flawed, just like bad form makes a basketball shot less likely to go in.

We’ll look at how fallacies work, why they matter, and why it’s best to be charitable when talking about them — sometimes the flaw is the fallacy, sometimes the whole argument gets called the fallacy.

The takeaway:

• As rational people, we want to reliably draw true conclusions from our existing beliefs.
• Logicians have studied what makes arguments strong, and also what makes them weak.
• Fallacies are the anti-patterns of argumentation — mistakes that lead us astray.

This video sets the stage for future episodes, where we’ll break down individual fallacies such as affirming the consequent and ad hominem.