Logic | GarryRogers Nature Conservation

We live in dark times.

Dark times of rampant, media-supported climate change doubt and denial mongering. Dark times when global temperatures are hitting new all-time record highs and extreme weather and climate change related events are growing in scope, scale, and danger. Dark times when it is becoming all-too-obvious that the fossil fuel companies of the world are committed to continue burning their dangerous and heat amplifying fuels regardless of the cost or pain or devastation inflicted upon others. Inflicted on persons, communities and the very nations of this world. Dark times when public officials level unfounded and baseless attacks against the very science upon which we depend to track the dangerous and growing crisis that is human-forced warming of the globe. From: robertscribbler.com

GR: I suppose we’ve never been safe trusting our elected leaders or our media. We should extend our skepticism to business leaders and religious leaders as well.

School-aged children and adults often hear conflicting views on important issues. Young people I know sometimes ask my opinion on interesting ideas or arguments they’ve heard. They ask because they think I have knowledge about the topic. I usually don’t, but sometimes I can spot fallacies they might not recognize, and this lets me give them a helpful opinion.

A fallacious argument can be invalid for several reasons. Wikipedia defines more than 100 fallacies that people intentionally or accidentally use to make false arguments. Some of the fallacies are difficult to spot without prior knowledge. Learning to recognize the long lists of fallacies takes time and that’s why I suggest that school curricula always include the subject.

By Aaron Blake. “It’s also not just Republicans.

“Eight in 10 Americans believe science has made life better for most people, but they still don’t trust scientists — and/or aren’t aware of their consensus — on many of the most important science-related issues of the day.

“And that goes for far more than just climate change. And it includes plenty of Democrats too.

“A new Pew study comparing the attitudes of scientists and the public shows wide gaps between the two when it comes to climate, food that uses genetically modified organisms and pesticides, research using animals, and also the threat posed by the fast-growing world population.” Source: www.washingtonpost.com

GR: School-aged children and adults often hear conflicting views on important issues. Young people I know often ask my opinion on interesting ideas or arguments they’ve heard. Often, I find the arguments are obvious fallacies. There are many ways to argue for unsound conclusions, even that science itself is faulty or dangerous.

A fallacious argument in logic or rhetoric is one that is invalid. Wikipedia defines more than 100 fallacies that people often use to make unsound arguments. Some of the fallacies are difficult to spot without prior knowledge. Learning to recognize the long lists of fallacies takes time and that’s why I suggest schoolwork.

Schools should include middle-grade units and high-school courses on fallacy and debate. Otherwise, choosing what to believe is like choosing foods without taste buds.