AN EXISTENTIAL-LOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FALLACIES ON THE HUMAN PERSON

  • Benedict Egbuchunam
Keywords: Fallacies, Existence,Arguments, human dignity

Abstract

In everyday discourse, arguments, which are expected to be logical and reasonable, are used to advance positions and to make statements. However, some arguments are known to be illogical and are generally referred to as fallacies which are errors in reasoning. These informal fallacies are known to have a psychological dimension in the pattern of illusions and deceptions that violate argument rules used in rational thinking or argumentation. The problem this paper deals with is that these fallacies are deceptive and unfortunately are sometimes deliberately used to deceive and mislead others. The deliberate intention to deceive, mislead or induce someone or people to accept a claim undermines human dignity and cannot allow for genuine dialogue and authentic communication. The question of the effect of fallacies in human communication and relationship has raised concerns. Using the existential theories of Martin Buber, Gabriel Marcel, and Karl Jaspers, this paper seeks to give an existential analysis of the inuence of informal fallacies on the human person. Through the expository and analytical method, this paper concludes that the deliberate use of fallacies in communication and relationships to deceive others is an affront to human dignity and militates against authentic existence. By learning to recognize fallacies and having a critical thinking disposition, we can avoid being deceitful and being misled by others.

Published
2023-05-20
Section
Articles