- Joined
- Nov 22, 2014
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Hypothesis contrary to fact is when someone argues that things would have turned out differently if only their position was accepted. For instance, "We'd never have all this crime if Bob Dole was president." This is unknowable because Bob Dole isn't president.
Explanation: Essentially, it is not possible to know what isn't or what never was. Notice that this is also very hard to argue against because just as there is no evidence for the assertion, neither is there any evidence against it. This is why it's use is tempting by the propagandist, and why it is irrelevant to any argument.
Examples:
(i) If Carroll had called a run, the Seahawks would have won.
(ii) If Ollie had ... then ...
Of course, if we didn't allow fallacious arguments, the Boneyard would be a boring place
Explanation: Essentially, it is not possible to know what isn't or what never was. Notice that this is also very hard to argue against because just as there is no evidence for the assertion, neither is there any evidence against it. This is why it's use is tempting by the propagandist, and why it is irrelevant to any argument.
Examples:
(i) If Carroll had called a run, the Seahawks would have won.
(ii) If Ollie had ... then ...
Of course, if we didn't allow fallacious arguments, the Boneyard would be a boring place
