The book of fallacies

cover image

Where to find it

Davis Library (6th floor)

Call Number
JF511 .B45 2015
Status
Available

Law Library — 3rd Floor Collection (3rd floor)

Call Number
JF511 .B45 2015
Status
Available

Authors, etc.

Names:

Summary

The present edition of The Book of Fallacies is the first that follows Bentham's own structure for the work, and includes a great deal of material, both in terms of the fallacies themselves and the illustrative matter, that previous versions of the work have omitted. The fallacies that concerned Bentham were not logical errors of the sort identified by Aristotle, or commonplace misunderstandings of matters of fact, but arguments deployed in political debate, in particular in the British Parliament, in order to prevent reform.

Bentham not only identified, described, and criticized the fallacious arguments in question, which were all characterized by their irrelevancy, but explained the sinister interests that led politicians to employ them and their supporters to accept them. By exposing these political fallacies, Bentham hoped to prevent their employment in future, and thereby to place political debate on its only proper ground, namely considerations drawn from the principle of utility.

Contents

Political fallacies form the subject of this work -- Classification of political fallacies -- Use of this enquiry : remedial measures proposed -- Hobgoblin-crier's, or Jacobin-crier's, or innovation-crier's, argument -- What's at the bottom? : Or the Devil's-behind argument -- Official-malefactor-screening maxim : Attack us, you attack the government -- Accusation-scarer's, or accuser-scarer's, or escape-and-innocence-confounder's, device : or non-success and calumny-confounder's device : infamy must attach somewhere -- Fallacies addressed to men's self-distrust : general view of them -- Authority-worshipper's, or blind-confidence-preacher's, device or argument -- Ancestor-worshipper's argument : or Chinese argument : or argument in the Chinese taste -- No-precedent argument -- Importance-and-difficulty-trumpeter's argument -- Browbeating-incapacity-confessor's, browbeating-ignoramus', or self-stultifier's, argument -- Paradox-brandisher's device -- Vaguely-insulting-vituperator's argument -- Anti-rational fallacies in general : their character -- Practical-man's, or blind-horse's, or thought-condemner's, or reason-abjurer's argument -- Impracticability-crier's argument -- Popular-corruption-pleader's argument -- Excellence-hater's, or excellence-abhorrer's, or perfectibility-denier's device -- Self-contradicting-no-thinker's argument -- Posterity-chainer's device or argument or fallacy -- Jephtha's-vow-pleading, or oath-abusing-posterity-chainer's device -- Allegorical-personage-worshipper's, or allegorical-personage-trumpeter's, device -- All-hush-without-doors, or nobody-grumbles, argument -- Anti-preventionalist's, or suffer-first, argument -- Vicarious-relief-preacher's argument -- Procrastination-preacher's argument -- Graduality-preacher's, or snail's-pace-preacher's, advice or device -- Of the fallacies of this class conjunctively considered -- Laudable-motive-trumpeter's argument -- Laudable-design-trumpeter's argument -- Laudable-character-trumpeter's argument -- Consistency-trumpeter's argument -- Inbred-laudable-disposition-trumpeter's argument -- Laudable-connection-trumpeter's argument -- Good-name-bestower's, or puffing-godfather's, argument -- Human-idol-trumpeter's, or deified-dead-man-trumpeter's, argument -- Self-trumpeter's fallacy -- Question-begging-denomination-employer's device, or eulogistic-and-dyslogistic-appellative-employer's device, or laudatory-and-vituperative-appellation-employer's device -- Partiality-preacher's maxim or device -- Atrocity-justifier's argument -- Logical-high-flier's, or logical-cloud-climber's, or lumping-classifier's, or distinction-excluder's, or distinction-eluder's, fallacy -- Sham-distinguisher's device -- Cause-and-obstacle-confounder's device -- Bar-vice-amendment-urging fallacy -- Diversion-creator's device -- General-rule-strainer's device -- Opposer-general's or defender-general's argument -- The blind-deaf-and dumb-man-aper's device -- Blind-place abhorrer's cry -- Blind-job-denouncer's cry -- Of political fallacies in general -- Causes and uses of the utterance of these fallacies -- Posterity-chainer's device or immutable-law-pleader's device -- Personalities of the vituperative cast -- Personalities laudatory -- Lumping-classifier's device -- Cloud-climber's or logical-high-flier's defice -- Logical-high-flyer's or creafty-generalizer's device, or distinction-confounder's device, or corruption-cloaker's device -- Opposer general's justification -- Place-abhorrer's cry -- Job-denouncer's cry.

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