I also learned about False Dilemmas in Chapter 6 of Epstien.
A “False Dilemma” is a claim, either compound or single, that offers too little of possibilities. It is most common in claims with the words “or” or “versus”. Epstein urges readers to pick up when they hear these words in a claim and think, “are there any other consequences or possibilities that can come out of this claim.”
For Example:
You need to get straight A’s in High School or you will not get into college.
Although this is a pretty simple example you can see that there are many other possibilities that can come out of not getting straight A’s. You can certainly get into a college getting B’s and A’s. The claim is defined as a False Dilemma because there are so many other possibilities as to what can happen if you do not get straight A’s.
Another example would be:
You need to post on your blog three times a week, 12 hours apart, or Professor Perez will hunt you down from the spirit world and hunt your dreams.
This awesome example it is a little tricky; although this may seem very true, and may frighten you, Professor Perez could do much worse to you if you do not post on your blog. The professor haunting you in your dreams is one tactic she could use, but she also has many other ways to keep you scared at night. This is a false Dilemma because all those possibilities are not stated.
helloo thatguy! :]
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading your blog posts. They always make me laugh because your examples are pretty hilarious. especially the one about our professor and about the rules of blogging. for the Chapter 6, regarding your definition and examples of false dilemma, I agree with you that false dilemmas offer too little possibilities and very exaggerated possibilities. Also your examples are very easy to follow and understandable. I believe getting A's is total Asian stereotype the Asian parents will always tell the kids that either they get an A or they will not succeed in life. Which is total exaggerated statement or a false dilemma. But that statement is obviously not true. Anyways great post! Keep up the great work!
[ellacomm]
Hi thatguy, I enjoyed reading your post because you seemed to integrate some humor into the lesson that we learned this previous week. Being that I have written about false dilemma before, I found that you described it pretty well. False dilemmas make it seem like there are only two choices when the options are usually much more than that. An example could be from your Ms. Perez situation where Ms. Perez also has the ability to play with your mind to get you to do homework if one does not willingly do it. I think I admit, I have been a victim of this mind manipulation some couple of times. Overall, pretty good, keep it up!
ReplyDeleteHey thatguy! I must say, your blog is now my favorite blog to read! I love your examples! They are funny but at the same time are accurate and interesting. It was good that in your description of a false dilemma, you related the definition back to the book. And you chose the right quotes that connected what you were saying to the point of the blog with “are there any other consequences or possibilities that can come out of this claim”. Additionally, by giving multiple examples, it gave the reader a chance to fully comprehend what false dilemmas are.
ReplyDeleteObviously your blog intrigued me on a humor level, but it was also very precise and shared great examples.
Nicely done!