The fallacy that it is necessary to continue on a mistaken course of action even after discovering it is mistaken, because changing course would mean admitting one's decision (or one's leader, or one's faith) was wrong, and all one's effort, expense and sacrifice was for nothing, and that's unthinkable. Argument from Inertia(also "Stay the Course").A fallacy commonly found in American political, judicial and forensic reasoning. See! See! That proves that you poisoned him! There's no other logical explanation!" A corrupted argument from logos. "Your arguments are false! That proves I'm right!" This usually includes "Either-Or Reasoning:" E.g., "The vet can't find any reasonable explanation for why my dog died. E.g., "Scientists are never going to be able to positively prove their theory that humans evolved from other creatures, because we weren't there to see it! So, that proves the Genesis six-day creation account is literally true as written!" This fallacy includes Attacking the Evidence, e.g. Argument from Ignorance:The fallacy that since we don't know (or can never know, or cannot prove) whether a claim is true or false, it must be false (or that it must be true).(E.g., "Global climate change cannot be caused by human burning of fossil fuels, because if it were, switching to non-polluting energy sources would bankrupt American industry", or "Doctor, that's wrong! I can't have cancer, because if I did that'd mean that I won't live to see my kids get married!") Argument from Consequences: The major fallacy of arguing that something cannot be true because if it were the consequences would be unacceptable. The reverse of this is yet another fallacy, the "Appeal to Novelty", e.g., "It's NEW, and good, or improved!" (E.g., "In America, women have always been paid less, so let's not mess with long-standing tradition".). A corrupted argument from ethos (that of past generations). The fallacy that a standpoint, situation or action is right, proper and correct simply because it has "always" been that way, because people have "always" thought that way, or because it continues to serve one particular group very well. Appeal to Tradition: (also "If it ain't broke, don't fix it").The fallacy of urging an audience to "root for the underdog" regardless of the issues at hand (e.g., "Those poor, cute little squeaky mice are being gobbled up by mean, nasty cats that are ten times their size!") A corrupt argument from pathos. Appeal to Pity: (also "Argumentum ad Miserecordiam").This vicious fallacy has been the cause of endless bloodshed over history. (E.g., "God ordered me to kill my children", or "We need to take away your land, since God has given it to us".) A private individual who seriously asserts this fallacy risks ending up in a psychiatric ward, but groups or nations who do it are far too often taken seriously. An extremely dangerous fallacy (a deluded argument from ethos) of asserting that God (or a higher power) has ordered, supports or approves one's own standpoint or actions so no further justification is required and no serious challenge is possible.
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