Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion / Content Fallacies

2. Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201).  Pick one, explain the fallacy in your own words, then give a real world example that you have heard in the past.  (You may need to do additional 'research' for the fallacy that you have chosen if the concept is not clear from the text.  You can 'google' the particular fallacy you have chosen for an additional explanation)


Violating the Principles of a Rational Discussion
In an argument, sometimes we are faced with an opposing person that has claims that totally throws off the whole argument/discussion you both are having.  When someone is just completely wrong and their claims/arguments against yours just totally does no fit with their conclusion, it just violates the whole purpose of the conversation because it does not even make sense anymore.  There are six different types of violations: 1. Beginning the Question: Your support/premises needs to be even more plausible than your conclusion in order for your conclusion to make sense.  2. Strawman: Putting words in people's mouths.  We all do it sometimes, but it can really turn an argument around. 3. Shifting the burden of proof: Prove me wrong; then you do not need to prove yourself right because they will be doing it for you. 4. Relevance:  Self-said.  Stay relevant because if the premise does not match your conclusion, it will not make any sense. 5. Slanters: Misleading and confusing choice of words to communicate your point.  6. Ridicule: Joking / Clowning on someone to be convincing.


One example out of these six that I've encountered recently is when my two friends (they are boyfriend and girlfriend) got in an argument about playing video games.  The boy plays Starcraft and has been playing that game pretty often lately.  Because of his constant attention to that game, the girl has been feeling lack of attention.  One day was the last straw for her because she wanted to spend time with him, but instead he ended up playing video games.  So, the girlfriend finally speaks up after one to two weeks of this pattern.  The boyfriend claimed he wanted to spend time with her, but he had to stay home, and since he had to stay home he did not want to be bored so he just played Starcraft.  The girlfriend told him that was a lie and he did not want to spend time with her because she believed that if he did, he could have invited her over.  This is an example of putting words in someone else's mouth because the girlfriend told her boyfriend how she believed how he felt.