Fallacies — valid-looking, but not valid: Mughalataat are arguments that look valid but are not. Ibn Sina warned about them, and the slide opens with his warning.
Three categories of fallacy: There are three categories of fallacy: material fallacies (errors in the content of the premises — false premises), formal fallacies (errors in the form of the argument — the conclusion does not follow even if the premises are true), and linguistic fallacies (errors in the words — ambiguity, shifting meanings, unclear terms). The ten fallacies that follow are drawn from all three categories.
Learning to recognise tricks: The point of learning them is not to win arguments by trickery, but to recognise tricks — in yourself and in others — and to keep your own thinking clean.
Example
Counterfeit coins: A fallacy is like a counterfeit coin: it looks like real money, and it works until someone checks it. Learning fallacies is learning to check the coins.
Key Terms
- Mughalata (المغالطة) — fallacy
- Al-Mughalataat (المغالطات) — fallacies
Quran or Hadith
None known from the slide title. Ibn Sina's warning, as referenced in the title — wording not verified. — to be checked.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: Three-category diagram: Material / Formal / Linguistic, with the ten fallacies sorted under them. To be drawn in Project Desk colours.
Note: Slide 59 was not read; based on the filename. Verify before publication.
- Mughalataat are arguments that look valid but are not.
- A fallacy is like a counterfeit coin: it looks like real money, and it works until someone checks it. Learning fallacies is learning to check the coins.