Skip to main content

Thomas Sowell Article Logical Fallacies and Biases

Let's analyze this article: 

Article can be found here: https://www.creators.com/read/thomas-sowell/08/22/the-point-of-no-return

The article presents an argument that the United States is at risk of destroying itself due to a degeneration in societal norms, highlighted by threats against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. While the article raises valid concerns about threats of violence and their potential impact on democracy and freedom, it employs several logical fallacies.



First, the article presents a false dilemma by suggesting that the choice is between believing in laws or believing in mob rule. This oversimplifies the issue and ignores the possibility of other solutions. Additionally, the article engages in ad hominem attacks against progressives, calling their arguments sophistries, and misrepresents their position on the interpretation of the Constitution, suggesting that they want to interpret the Constitutional limits out of the way.



Furthermore, the article introduces a red herring by discussing the Progressive era and amendments to the Constitution, which are not directly relevant to the issue of threats against judges. The article also employs a slippery slope argument by suggesting that if threats of violence against judges are tolerated, then there is not much point in having elections or laws, and freedom will be forfeited.


In terms of bias, the article appears to have a confirmation bias in favor of conservative viewpoints. This is evidenced by the criticism of progressives and the suggestion that the Supreme Court's decision on abortion was long overdue and potentially historic. The article also presents a false equivalence by suggesting that both Democrats and Republicans are equally responsible for threats against judges and their families, without providing evidence to support this claim. Additionally, the article selectively presents evidence to support its argument while ignoring other relevant issues and arguments.


In conclusion, while the article raises valid concerns about threats of violence and their potential impact on democracy and freedom, it employs several logical fallacies and demonstrates bias. It is important to analyze arguments critically and objectively, considering all evidence and viewpoints, to arrive at informed and balanced conclusions.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Logical Fallacies Fox News: Tucker Carlson Opinion

Fallacies found in Fox News opinion piece by Tucker Carlson.    https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-extraordinary-amount-lying Firstly, the author uses a lot of loaded language, which can be seen as an attempt to manipulate the emotions of the reader rather than present a logical argument. For example, they refer to the lying as "hilarious," and they say that the lying is not sophisticated, but rather like a 5-year-old child. Secondly, the author presents a strawman argument by suggesting that everyone believed that Vladimir Putin blew up Russia's natural gas pipeline to Europe, and then argues that this is not true. However, this is not an accurate representation of what people believed or what was reported in the media. Many news organizations did report that the pipeline exploded, but there was disagreement over who was responsible. Thirdly, the author engages in ad hominem attacks by calling those who reported the story "people who lie for a living...

Fallacies and biases in WSJ article (03/31/2023)

Fallacies and biases in WSJ article: Americans Are Losing Faith in College Education, WSJ-NORC Poll Finds The article "Americans are Losing Faith in College Education" by the Wall Street Journal has a number of fallacies and biases. One fallacy is that the article uses a small sample size to make a general claim about all Americans. The article cites a poll of 1,000 adults, but this is a very small percentage of the total population of the United States. It is possible that the results of the poll are not representative of the views of all Americans. Another fallacy is that the article uses loaded language to make the reader feel a certain way about college education. For example, the article says that "Americans are losing faith in college education" and that "college is no longer worth the cost." These statements are loaded with negative connotations, which can make the reader think that college is a bad investment. The article also has a number of biase...

Chicago May Elect a Sensible Mayor : By Jason L. Riley

The article is biased in favor of Mr. Vallas. It presents him as the more qualified candidate, with a strong track record of success in education and public safety. It also highlights his connection between public safety and education, which is a key issue for many voters. The article is less favorable to Mr. Johnson, who it portrays as having a weaker record on education and public safety.  There are several logical fallacies in the article about the Chicago mayor race. One fallacy is the use of the straw man argument. This fallacy occurs when someone misrepresents an opponent's position in order to make it easier to attack. For example, the article claims that Mr. Johnson wants to "defund the police," even though he has never said anything to that effect. This misrepresentation makes it easier for the article to argue against Mr. Johnson's position. Another fallacy is the use of the false dichotomy. This fallacy occurs when someone presents two options as the only p...