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Logic Discussions: The Commandments of Logic
1 - Thou shalt not assume a hypothesis requiring an action is more valid than the null hypothesis.
2 - Thou shalt provide a premise that can be causally linked to your proposed conclusion.
3 - Thou shalt not assume what is popular is correct (bandwagon fallacy /argumentum ad populum)
4 - Thou shalt not use a premise that is predicated on its conclusion (circular reasoning)
5 - Thou shalt not assume an argument is ridiculous without providing a proof why (appeal to the stone)
6 - Thou shalt not use reasoning based on your feelings alone (appeal to emotion)
7 - Thou shalt not use legislation, respected senior members of a field of study, or a ruler as sole justifications for an argument (appeal to authority)
8 - Thou shalt not use traditions to justify an argument. (appeal to tradition).
9 - Thou shalt not attempt to discredit an argument by insulting those making it. (ad hominem).
10 - Thou shalt not use an individual's hypocrisy as a sole reason to discredit their argument (tu quoque).
11 - Thou shalt not presume that the whole is the same as is parts, or vice versa, without empirical proof. (composition /division fallacy)
12 - Thou shalt not change the nature or conclusion of an argument to prove its correctness (moving goalposts).
13 - Thou shalt not dismiss evidence because of its source alone (genetic fallacy).
14 - Thou shalt not justify or dismiss an argument by appealing to the purity of a subject/object (no true Scotsmen fallacy)
15 - Thou shalt not presume only your proposed options exist without logical proof of this. (false dichotomy)
16 - Thou shalt not presume the cause of an event is its only cause without proof (false cause)
17 - Thou shalt not presume because something is natural it must be good (appeal to nature).
18 - That shalt not use only personal experience to justify or dismiss an argument (anecdotal fallacy)
19 - Thou shalt not claim a compromise between extremes is the most logical solution. (middle ground fallacy)
20 - Thou shalt not presume without a proof that because an argument is argued poorly it is wrong. (fallacy fallacy)
21 - Thou shalt not presume an argument is wrong because you believe it to be wrong (personal incredulity)
22 - Thou shalt not ask questions which presume one action is inherently better than another (loaded question fallacy)
23 - Thou shalt not try to make someone disprove their own claim by researching yours (burden of proof fallacy)
24 - Thou shalt not use ambiguous terms to justify a premise. (ambiguity fallacy)
25 - Thou shalt not assume an argument is statistically significant because it can occur. (gambler fallacy)
Replies (3)
Good list of logic rules, but writing it as a series of commandments makes me think of Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem. Putting too much faith in any list of logical rules is actually illogical itself, because all formal sets of logic rules either prevent us from accessing all true statements (incomplete) or result in a contradiction (inconsistent). Either way, formal sets of logical rules are inherently limited and thou shalt not have complete faith in a formal logic system.
@sailboatdiaries good point on putting faith in anything. Logic, however, is not predicated on faith, but on critical thinking. As more fallacies are encountered I'll update this list. I found an amazing map a few years ago online of all the formal and informal fallacies known today, will see if I can dig it out for a future post.
You still need ethics as well, of course, but this wasn't a post about ethics. Logic gives the best method of action for an ethical goal. Solutions rarely succeed without a logical basis.
I will say this regarding my phrasing - I did it for a reason. I'm trying to convert people away from Statheism. I figured some Commandments would help the transition.
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