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Logical Fallacy of Proof by Logical Tautology

 

Logical Fallacy of Proof by Logical Tautology

Proof by logical tautology is one of the many smokescreens that are used to cover the fact that the reasoning is based on one of the three fallacies of Agrippa's trilemma. Whenever a logical fallacy is committed, the fallacy has its roots in Agrippa's trilemma. All human thought (without Divine revelation) is based on one of three unhappy possibilities. These three possibilities are infinite regression, circular reasoning, or axiomatic thinking. This problem is known as Agrippa's trilemma. Some have claimed that only logic and math can be known without Divine revelation; however, that is not true. Without Divine revelation, neither logic nor math can be known. Science is also limited to the pragmatic because of the weakness on human reasoning, which is known as Agrippa's trilemma.

The logical fallacy of proof by logical tautology occurs when a statement is made that cannot be falsified simply because of its form. It isn't a fallacy unless it used as an explanation of something or proof of something since the statement contains no real information. Note that rhetorical tautology is not a fallacy, but  is often confused with logical tautology. Rhetorical tautology occurs when repetition replaces significance.

Examples of the Logical Fallacy of Proof by Logical Tautology

"The mechanism of evolution is natural selection, the survival of the fittest."

The tautology here is "survival of the fittest." This is the survival of the survivors, or the fitness of the fittest. Natural selection has problems of its own. Defining natural selection as this tautology is a sure way to cause confusion. If the tautology is used as some kind of validation for molecules-to-man, then it is a fallacy.

"Those living things that survive are more fit because they are more well adapted to live in the environment."

This appears to give a conclusion that the fittest survive and a premise or proof that they are more well adapted for their environment, but all that has happened is that the same thing is repeated twice: to be "fit" is to be "more well adapted to live."

Bill Nye arguing against Creation science: “Also, in this picture, you can see where one type of sediment has intruded on another type. Now, if that was uniform, wouldn’t we expect it all to be even without intrusion?”

To be uniform is the same as being even, but the two are contrasted to give the illusion that the point is being made. Bill was trying to prove the the worldwide Genesis flood didn't occur.

 



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Last updated: Sep, 2014
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Logical Fallacy of Proof by Fallacy

Proof Surrogate / Evidence Surrogate

Error in Observation

Misrepresenting the Facts Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Distorted Evidence

Logical Fallacy of Unverified Evidence

Logical Fallacy of Hysteron Proteron

The Logical Fallacy of Unsubstantiated Inference

Assuming Facts Not In Evidence

Logical Fallacy of Wishful Thinking

Logical Fallacy of Appeal to Worldview / Appeal to Fake-Reality / Appeal to Paradigm / Appeal to Confirmation Bias

Logical Fallacy of Slippery Slope

Logical Fallacy of Limited Scope

Logical Fallacy of Mind Reading

Logical Fallacy of Shoehorning

Logical Fallacy of Confirmation Bias

Sacred Cow Fallacy

Fantasy Projection / Worldview Projection / Fake-Reality Projection / Paradigm Projection / Context Projection

Group Think Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Context Imposition

Psychologist's Fallacy

The Logical Fallacy ofAmazing Familiarity

Stolen Concept Fallacy / Smuggled Concept Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Weak Inference

Logical Fallacy of Proof by Theoretical Stories

The Logical Fallacy of Anecdotal Evidence Presented as Scientific Evidence / Personal Testimony Presented as Scientific Evidence

Logical Fallacy of Dismissing All Personal Testimony

Logical Fallacy of Rewriting History / Have it Your Way

Logical Fallacy of Proof by Model

Logical Fallacy of Proof by Assumption

Logical Fallacy of Argument from Personal Incredulity / Personal Belief / Personal Conviction

Logical Fallacy of Argument by Lack of Imagination

Logical Fallacy of Argument by Imagination

The Logical Fallacy of Capturing the Naive / Argumentum ad Captandum / Argumentum ad Captandum Vulgus

Logical Fallacy of Argument from Personal Astonishment

Logical Fallacy of Special Pleading

Logical Fallacy of Variant Imagization

Logical Fallacy of Self-Exclusion

Logical Fallacy of Unintended Self-Inclusion

Ad Personam Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Proof by Assertion / Proof by Repeated Assertion

Logical Fallacy of Cherishing the Zombie

Logical Fallacy of Argumentum Ad Lapidem

Logical Fallacy of Proof by Understatement / Misunderstanding by Understatement

Logical Fallacy of Proof by Logical Tautology

Logical Fallacy of Proof by False Declaration of Victory

Logical Fallacy of Assumption Correction Assumption

False Criteria Fallacy / Fallacy of Questionable Criteria

Logical Fallacy of Cutting Off Discussion / Summary Dismissal

Logical Fallacy of Thought-Terminating Cliche / ClicheThinking

Logical Fallacy of Truism

Logical Fallacy of the Perfect Solution / Nirvana Fallacy / Perfect Solution Fallacy / Perfectionist Fallacy

Just In Case Fallacy / Worst Case Scenario Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Unwarranted Extrapolation

Logical Fallacy of Untestability

Logical Fallacy of Subjectivity / Relativist Fallacy / Subjectivist Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Bizarre Hypothesis/Theory / Far-Fetched Hypothesis/Theory

Logical Fallacy of Least Plausible Hypothesis

Logical Fallacy of Extravagant Hypothesis / Complex Hypothesis Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Privileging the Hypothesis

Logical Fallacy of Canceling Hypotheses

Logical Fallacy of Appeal to False Faith

Logical Fallacy of False Appeal to Heaven / Appeal to Heaven / Gott Mit Uns / Manfest Destiny / Special Covenant

Logical Fallacy of Inaccurate Models

Logical Fallacy of Hedging / Having Your Cake / Failure to Assert / Diminished Claim / Failure to Choose Sides / Talking out of Both Sides of Your Mouth / If by Whiskey

Preacher's "We" / Salesman's "We" / Politician's "We" Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Appeal to Nature

Logical Fallacy of Experimenter Bias

Fallacy of the Crucial Experiment

Logical Fallacy of Argument from Hearsay / Telephone Game / Chinese Whispers / Anecdotal Evidence / Volvo Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Ad Hoc Rescue / Ad Hoc Hypothesis

The Logical Fallacy of Hindsight Bias / Knew-it-all-Along Effect / Creeping Determinism

Logical Fallacy of Continuum / Argument of the Beard / Fallacy of the Beard / Heap Fallacy / Heap Paradox Fallacy / Bald Man Fallacy / Continuum Fallacy / Line Drawing Fallacy / Sorites Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Argument from Fallacy / Argumentum Ad Logicam

Logical Fallacy of Inflation of Conflict

Logical Fallacy of Infinite Regress / Homunculus Argument

The Logical Fallacy of Reification / Anti-Conceptual Mentality Fallacy / Attributing Concreteness to the Abstract / Concretism / Hypostatization Fallacy / Objectification

Logical Fallacy of Reification / Personification

Logical Fallacy Slothful Induction

Logical Fallacy of Superstitious Thinking / Magical Thinking

Logical Fallacy of Meaningless Question

Logical Fallacy of Proving Non-Existence

Argumentum ad Imaginibus

Statement of Conversion Fallacy

Logical Fallacy of Outdated Information

Logical Fallacy of Argument by Laziness

Alien Fallacy

Quantum Physics Fallacy

Fallacious Abstraction Fallacy

Appeal to the Untested / Appeal to the Unknown Fallacy

Grasping at Straws

Appeal to Pragmatism Fallacy / Pragmatic Fallacy / Appeal to Convenience / Pragmatism / Appeal to Utility / Argumentum Ad Convenientiam

Appeal to Fake Hope

Appeal to Intuition Fallacy

Appeal to Mystery Fallacy

Argument from Design Fallacy

Untestability Fallacy

Fallacy of Imaginary Evidence

Monopolizing the Question / Hypophora

Fallacy of Antecedent / Fallacy of Time

Faulty Sign / Faulty Predictor Fallacy

Pretentious Antecedent

Logical Fallacy of Pretentious Premise


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