Sunday, July 31, 2011
The Nirvana Fallacy
Today's logical fallacy is the Nirvana Fallacy, or Perfect Solution Fallacy. Essentially, this fallacy is when a person rejects a solution because it isn't absolutely perfect. A current example of this would be the Congressional inability to agree on a budget. Each side has an ideal of what the budget should be, and neither are willing to accept that the final outcome may not live completely up to their ideals. I would also venture this fallacy has been the end of more than a few relationships....
Also, I'm totally cancelling my Netflix in September.
After thinking about it for a couple months, I've finally gotten around to starting the blog I promised friends and professors at my graduation ceremony. I had to overcome a lot to get to this point (The Mentalist, Heroes, Dexter, to name a few things...), but a clear vision of what I want to do with this meek digital voice.
The first and obvious purpose of this site is to update whoever decides they would like to know what I'm doing and what I'm thinking. Honestly, I imagine these posts will either be wildly successful or mind boggling failures (Reason being, I've never been one to avoid making inflammatory statements, or to employ much tact, hard as I may try.). Time will tell.
The second purpose for this blog is much more practical. A recent Google search brought to my attention that there are no daily updated sites dedicated to introducing and explaining informal logical fallacies. Not only would my taking on this task be a great way to promote readership (gotta get ad clicks somehow...), but it should (hopefully) promote a sense of stronger, clear thought in anyone who takes the time to read my posts. With an election year right around the corner, I feel there's no better time to start spreading some logic.
Thirdly, I believe I will use this site to spread some of my opinions on religious matters. During my last semester at Brevard College I was talked into writing a weekly religious opinion column, which was not only a good outlet for me, but also seemed to have a generally positive response. Due to that experience, I hope to continue that kind of writing. I think an Atheist voice that speaks out against unreasonable atheist voices is vital in a trend of name-calling revenue oriented literature.
Lastly, while I hope to keep it to a minimum, I imagine at points the rants that I have come to be known for will find their way onto this site as well. I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing, however, because I imagine writing it out and attempting to avoid foul language will only strengthen my language and critical thinking skills.... Or not. Who knows.
So to kick things off, I'll explain some logic! Today's logical fallacy is Reductio Ad Hitlerum, or playing the Nazi card. Fairly straightforward, this fallacy is the act of calling someone or their argument Hitler, Nazi-esque, etc. For an example, I'll quote the Playing the Nazi Card's greatest advocate, Glenn Beck. "There was a shooting at a political camp, which sounds a little like, you know, the Hitler youth. I mean, who does a camp for kids that's all about politics? Disturbing." — Glenn Beck explains the disturbing part of the massacre that killed 68 people at a camp for young members of Norway's ruling Labor Party. Ignoring the deaths involved, Beck shows his understanding of the mass murder as not so bad a thing; after all, these kids were like the Nazi youth!
The first and obvious purpose of this site is to update whoever decides they would like to know what I'm doing and what I'm thinking. Honestly, I imagine these posts will either be wildly successful or mind boggling failures (Reason being, I've never been one to avoid making inflammatory statements, or to employ much tact, hard as I may try.). Time will tell.
The second purpose for this blog is much more practical. A recent Google search brought to my attention that there are no daily updated sites dedicated to introducing and explaining informal logical fallacies. Not only would my taking on this task be a great way to promote readership (gotta get ad clicks somehow...), but it should (hopefully) promote a sense of stronger, clear thought in anyone who takes the time to read my posts. With an election year right around the corner, I feel there's no better time to start spreading some logic.
Thirdly, I believe I will use this site to spread some of my opinions on religious matters. During my last semester at Brevard College I was talked into writing a weekly religious opinion column, which was not only a good outlet for me, but also seemed to have a generally positive response. Due to that experience, I hope to continue that kind of writing. I think an Atheist voice that speaks out against unreasonable atheist voices is vital in a trend of name-calling revenue oriented literature.
Lastly, while I hope to keep it to a minimum, I imagine at points the rants that I have come to be known for will find their way onto this site as well. I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing, however, because I imagine writing it out and attempting to avoid foul language will only strengthen my language and critical thinking skills.... Or not. Who knows.
So to kick things off, I'll explain some logic! Today's logical fallacy is Reductio Ad Hitlerum, or playing the Nazi card. Fairly straightforward, this fallacy is the act of calling someone or their argument Hitler, Nazi-esque, etc. For an example, I'll quote the Playing the Nazi Card's greatest advocate, Glenn Beck. "There was a shooting at a political camp, which sounds a little like, you know, the Hitler youth. I mean, who does a camp for kids that's all about politics? Disturbing." — Glenn Beck explains the disturbing part of the massacre that killed 68 people at a camp for young members of Norway's ruling Labor Party. Ignoring the deaths involved, Beck shows his understanding of the mass murder as not so bad a thing; after all, these kids were like the Nazi youth!
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