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Strawman Fallacy: Examples and Repercussions

July 19, 2021

Philosophy

fallacy, internet, society, strawman

The internet is sadly full of strawman fallacy examples. In contrast to the Bandwagon fallacy, and partly like the Appeal to Hypocrisy fallacy, the person committing the strawman fallacy is usually aware they are doing so. That is, one resorts to strawman arguments to ameliorate their otherwise weak argument. However, this isn’t set in stone. In other words, it’s possible for someone to commit the strawman fallacy inadvertently.

Regardless of the motive, this is a particularly widespread and unfortunately insidious fallacy. Some well-crafted iterations of it can be truly misleading, giving the impression of a solid argument. It’s important, then, to learn to recognize it. This is precisely what we’ll do in this post, as we’ll take a closer look at some strawman fallacy examples, definitions, and ways to counter its use.

strawman fallacy examples
Fields are full of straw, and the internet is full of strawman fallacy examples
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The Difference Between Ignorance and Stupidity

July 12, 2021

Philosophy, Society

ignorance, social masses, social media, society, stupidity

Are stupidity and ignorance synonymous? Perhaps in some contexts, but the answer must be “no”. There is a clear difference between ignorance and stupidity, and understanding this difference can inform our interaction with other people. This is especially the case when this interaction happens online.

The reason I’m writing this post is – as any other – entirely selfish. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I’m happy if you can find something useful in Home for Fiction posts. But I’m writing them for myself. And so, a post on the difference between ignorance and stupidity serves as a reminder to myself; a conceptual compass that can help me navigate the frustrating reality surrounding me.

As I mentioned in an online discussion, I’ve reached an age where I have precisely zero tolerance for stupidity and dogmatism. However – and this I didn’t mention in that discussion – I still tolerate ignorance. Tolerating ignorance while fiercely distancing myself from stupidity is the only way – for me at least – to fight against stupidity while remaining relatively sane.

difference between ignorance and stupidity
This cat impatiently waits to hear about the difference between ignorance and stupidity (hey, any post is better with a cat photo)
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Do Writers Have Social Responsibility?

July 5, 2021

Literature, Society

ignorance, responsibility, society, writing

I don’t know; that’s the only honest answer to the question above. That’s also the reason why I phrased it as a question. Do writers have any social responsibility? I will try to get a bit closer to the truth during the process of composing this post. If it can help you, too, in some way, all the better.

As a first thing, we would need to lay down some important theoretical foundations. When we wonder whether writers have social responsibility, there are two elements we need to define or clarify:

  • What do we mean by “writers”? Fiction writers? Nonfiction writers? Artists (who, remember, are not the same as writers)?
  • What on earth is “social responsibility”?

Most misunderstandings arise from using the same word but meaning different things – think of “love” or “success” – so being as clear as possible about our definitions is important. So, I’ll begin with trying to clarify these terms in my own head first, and then I’ll try to see how (if at all) they play ball together.

writers social responsibility
Writers have no social responsibility. They only have responsibility toward their art
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