FALLACIES OF Amphiboly, Equivocation & Composition

Fallacy of Amphiboly• An ambiguity which results from ambiguous

grammar• From uncertainty of the grammatical

construction rather than of the meaning of the words

• A sentence whose grammatical structure permits different interpretations

• Relies on grammatical structure to confuse or mislead an audience

Fallacy of Amphiboly• Examples:

The anthropologists went to a remote area and took photographs of some native women, but they weren't developed.

Fallacy of Amphiboly

Source: www.blogorganon.blogspot.com

Fallacy of Amphiboly

Source: www.grammarproject.blogspot.com

Fallacy of Amphiboly

Source: www.quotesworthrepeating.com

Fallacy of Equivocation• It is committed when a word/phrase with

at least two different meanings is used in a single argument

• Often confused with amphiboly• It is fallacious because it exploits the

multiple meanings most words have by using secondary meanings to lead to a false conclusion

Fallacy of Equivocation• Examples:A feather is light.What is light cannot be dark.Therefore, a feather cannot be dark.

Fallacy of Equivocation

Source: www.fallacydetective.com

Fallacy of Equivocation

Sources: www.trullyfallacious.com www.distractify.com

Fallacy of Equivocation

Source: www.reddit.com

Fallacy of Equivocation

Source: www.reddit.com

Fallacy of Composition• Fallacy of grammatical analogy• Treats a distributed characteristic as if it were

collected• Taking jointly what should be taken

separately• Form: A is part of B. A has property X.

Therefore, B has property X.

Fallacy of Composition• Examples:Everything, all of creation, is held together by chemical bonds. Chemical bonds are invisible so everything is invisible, too.Hydrogen is not wet. Oxygen is not wet. Therefore, H2O(l) is not wet.

Fallacy of Composition2 is a number.2+2 = 4.Therefore any number is equal to 4.

Person 1: Ui! Anong course mo?Person 2: BS Chemistry!Person 3: Wow! Ang tatalino niyo siguro!

Dr. Dela Cruz is a philosophy teacher.Dr. Dela Cruz is cool and awesome.Therefore, all philosophy professors are cool.

Fallacy of Composition

Sources: www.karinhowe.comwww.niyamaklogic.wordpress.com

Thank you!