CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"/> <title>Self-refuting idea - RationalWiki</title> <script>document.documentElement.className="client-js";RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":!1,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy","wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"Z1pee7lw8AQXW97X7FTTEQAAAQI","wgCSPNonce":!1,"wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":!1,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Self-refuting_idea","wgTitle":"Self-refuting idea","wgCurRevisionId":2676599,"wgRevisionId":2676599,"wgArticleId":13763,"wgIsArticle":!0,"wgIsRedirect":!1,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Pages using DynamicPageList parser function","Logic","Fallacies","Circular reasoning","Formal fallacies"],"wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Self-refuting_idea","wgRelevantArticleId":13763,"wgIsProbablyEditable":!0,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable": !0,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgMediaViewerOnClick":!0,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":!0};RLSTATE={"site.styles":"ready","noscript":"ready","user.styles":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles.legacy":"ready","mediawiki.toc.styles":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","site","mediawiki.page.startup","mediawiki.page.ready","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.legacy.js","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","mmv.head","mmv.bootstrap.autostart"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.implement("user.options@1hzgi",function($,jQuery,require,module){/*@nomin*/mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); });});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cmediawiki.toc.styles%7Cskins.vector.styles.legacy&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.35.6"/> <meta name="description" content="A self-refuting idea is a logical fallacy in which the conclusion denies the premises. It occurs when concept A is used to deny concept B, but A logically depends on B. It is a formal fallacy."/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit" href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit"/> <link rel="edit" title="Edit" href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"/> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/opensearch_desc.php" title="RationalWiki (en)"/> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"/> <link rel="license" href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyrights"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="RationalWiki Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="RationalWiki"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Self-refuting idea"/> <meta property="og:description" content="A self-refuting idea is a logical fallacy in which the conclusion denies the premises. It occurs when concept A is used to deny concept B, but A logically depends on B. It is a formal fallacy."/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Self-refuting_idea"/>  </head> <body class="mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Self-refuting_idea rootpage-Self-refuting_idea skin-vector action-view minerva--history-page-action-enabled skin-vector-legacy"> <div id="mw-page-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="mw-head-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="content" class="mw-body" role="main"> <a id="top"></a> <div id="siteNotice" class="mw-body-content"><div id="localNotice" lang="en" dir="ltr"><table class="messagebox mb-brainwatermark-light mb-info" style=""> <tbody><tr> <td class="mb-image"><a href="/wiki/File:Information_icon.svg" class="image"><img alt="Information icon.svg" src="/w/images/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/50px-Information_icon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="50" srcset="/w/images/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/75px-Information_icon.svg.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/100px-Information_icon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="620" data-file-height="620" /></a> </td> <td class="mb-text"><b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Moderator_elections/Results" title="RationalWiki:Moderator elections/Results">Results</a></b> for the <b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Moderator_elections" title="RationalWiki:Moderator elections">2024 RationalWiki Moderator Election</a></b> have now been posted. Thank you for participating in this election, and congratulations to the winners! </td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> <div class="mw-indicators mw-body-content"> </div> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading" lang="en">Self-refuting idea</h1> <div id="bodyContent" class="mw-body-content"> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From RationalWiki</div> <div id="contentSub"></div> <div id="contentSub2"></div> <div id="jump-to-nav"></div> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#mw-head">Jump to navigation</a> <a class="mw-jump-link" href="#searchInput">Jump to search</a> <div id="mw-content-text" lang="en" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr"><div class="mw-parser-output"><table class="infobox" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 0.5em 0.5em; text-align:left; border: 1px solid #009761; width:175px;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; color:White; background-color:#009761"><b>Cogito ergo sum</b><br /><a href="/wiki/Logic" title="Logic"><font size="4" color="White"><b>Logic and rhetoric</b></font></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;" align="center"><a href="/wiki/Category:Logic" title="Category:Logic"><img alt="Icon logic.svg" src="/w/images/thumb/9/99/Icon_logic.svg/100px-Icon_logic.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="100" srcset="/w/images/thumb/9/99/Icon_logic.svg/150px-Icon_logic.svg.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/9/99/Icon_logic.svg/200px-Icon_logic.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="200" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#009761; text-align:center;"><b>Key articles</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#FFFFFF;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Logical_fallacy" title="Logical fallacy">Logical fallacy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Syllogism" title="Syllogism">Syllogism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Argument" title="Argument">Argument</a></li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#009761; text-align:center;"><b>General logic</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#FFFFFF;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Enthymeme" title="Enthymeme">Enthymeme</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deepity" title="Deepity">Deepity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Holmesian_fallacy" title="Holmesian fallacy">Holmesian fallacy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rapoport%27s_Rules" title="Rapoport's Rules">Rapoport's Rules</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Generaliza%C3%A7%C3%A3o_precipitada" title="Generalização precipitada">Generalização precipitada</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paulo_Bittencourt_(portugu%C3%AAs)" title="Paulo Bittencourt (português)">Paulo Bittencourt (português)</a></li></ul> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#009761; text-align:center;"><b>Bad logic</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#FFFFFF;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Syllogism" title="Syllogism">Syllogism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Substituting_explanation_for_premise" title="Substituting explanation for premise">Substituting explanation for premise</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Greece-baiting" title="Greece-baiting">Greece-baiting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_fear" title="Appeal to fear">Appeal to fear</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_amphiboly" title="Fallacy of amphiboly">Fallacy of amphiboly</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evid%C3%AAncia_suprimida" title="Evidência suprimida">Evidência suprimida</a></li></ul> <div class="vte plainlinks" style="font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"><a href="/wiki/Template:Logicnav" title="Template:Logicnav">v</a> - <a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Logicnav" title="Template talk:Logicnav">t</a> - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Logicnav&action=edit">e</a></div> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>A <b>self-refuting idea</b> is a <a href="/wiki/Logical_fallacy" title="Logical fallacy">logical fallacy</a> in which the conclusion denies the premises. It occurs when concept A is used to deny concept B, but A logically depends on B. It is a <a href="/wiki/Formal_fallacy" title="Formal fallacy">formal fallacy</a>. </p><p>The fallacy is in some ways the mirror of <a href="/wiki/Begging_the_question" class="mw-redirect" title="Begging the question">begging the question</a> (where you assume what you are attempting to prove), but instead, you are assuming what you want to disprove. Many <a href="/wiki/Conspiracy_theories" class="mw-redirect" title="Conspiracy theories">conspiracy theories</a> are self-refuting ideas. </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Alternate_names"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Alternate names</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Forms"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Forms</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Canceling_hypotheses"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Canceling hypotheses</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#Unintentional_apophasis"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Unintentional apophasis</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#Kettle_logic"><span class="tocnumber">2.3</span> <span class="toctext">Kettle logic</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#Examples"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Examples</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="#Statements_or_concepts_involving_explicit_or_implicit_absolutes.2Funiversals"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Statements or concepts involving explicit or implicit absolutes/universals</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="#Christianity"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span> <span class="toctext">Christianity</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-11"><a href="#Notes"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Notes</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Alternate_names">Alternate names</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Alternate names">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li>Stolen concept fallacy (coined by <a href="/wiki/Ayn_Rand" title="Ayn Rand">Ayn Rand</a>)</li> <li>Friendly fire</li> <li>Kettle logic</li> <li>Own goal</li> <li>Shooting oneself in the foot</li> <li>Smuggled concept</li> <li>Unforced error</li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Forms">Forms</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Forms">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>Self-refuting ideas are relatively common among those who don't consider the assumptions they're making or what those assumptions actually mean; the result is an argument that undermines itself. This is particularly common when the person making the claim is <a href="/wiki/Cherry_picking" title="Cherry picking">cherry picking</a>, since they may not bother to check if the things they're picking even <i>are</i> cherries. </p><p>However, a claim of self-refutation may be based on semantics or a <a href="/wiki/Straw_man" title="Straw man">straw man</a>. The common <a href="/wiki/Objectivist" class="mw-redirect" title="Objectivist">Objectivist</a> example of the stolen concept is Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's statement that "property is theft"; it is argued that this is self-negating, as theft requires a concept of lawful property. This ignores the author's intended definition of the two terms – Proudhon referred to the private property of landowners and <a href="/wiki/Capitalist" class="mw-redirect" title="Capitalist">capitalists</a>, claiming they "stole" profits from workers (he called his preferred property concept "possession").<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> It is important to distinguish this from <a href="/wiki/Ad_hoc" title="Ad hoc">ad hoc</a> attempts to rescue a self-refuting idea <a href="/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts" title="Moving the goalposts">by adding terms to it after the fact</a>. </p><p>One ought to be aware of the <a href="/wiki/Principle_of_charity" class="mw-redirect" title="Principle of charity">principle of charity</a>, to take the most reasonable interpretation of one's opponent's words. An argument may be formed as a deliberate <a href="/wiki/Oxymoron" title="Oxymoron">oxymoron</a>, as a striking way of saying something, or other <a href="/wiki/Metaphor" title="Metaphor">metaphor</a>, and is not to be taken literally. </p><p>And one must distinguish between a self-refuting idea and the quite useful <i><a href="/wiki/Reductio_ad_absurdum" title="Reductio ad absurdum">reductio ad absurdum</a></i>, where one begins with the assumptions that one is trying to refute and shows that they result in a contradiction or other unwelcome conclusion.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[note 1]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Canceling_hypotheses">Canceling hypotheses</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Canceling hypotheses">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Canceling hypotheses occurs when someone <a href="/wiki/Handwave" title="Handwave">explains away</a> the absence of the evidence for something / consequences of something by (<a href="/wiki/Ad_hoc" title="Ad hoc">ad hoc</a>) introducing a new <a href="/wiki/Hypothesis" title="Hypothesis">hypothesis</a> which cancels the effect of the first. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Unintentional_apophasis">Unintentional apophasis</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Unintentional apophasis">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div role="note" class="hatnote">See the main article on this topic: <a href="/wiki/Apophasis" title="Apophasis">Apophasis</a></div> <p>A literary term is for a species of irony, <b>unintentional apophasis</b>. Intentional apophasis is to bring up a subject with the pretense of not mentioning it, such as "I will not dwell on my opponent's <a href="/wiki/Atheism" title="Atheism">atheism</a>". Unintentional apophasis, on the other hand, is to bring up a subject which is best left alone, such as <a href="/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump">Donald Trump</a> talking about the size of his hands. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Kettle_logic">Kettle logic</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Kettle logic">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p><b>Kettle logic</b> (<i>logique du chaudron</i>) was named by <a href="/wiki/Philosopher" class="mw-redirect" title="Philosopher">philosopher</a> <a href="/wiki/Jacques_Derrida" title="Jacques Derrida">Jacques Derrida</a> for a story that <a href="/wiki/Sigmund_Freud" title="Sigmund Freud">Sigmund Freud</a> told in "Irma's dream" in <i>The Interpretation of Dreams</i> and <i>Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious</i>. A man is accused by his neighbour of returning a borrowed kettle in a damaged condition and answers: </p> <ul><li>That he had returned the kettle undamaged</li> <li>That it was already damaged when he borrowed it</li> <li>That he had never borrowed it in the first place</li></ul> <p>The arguments may stand individually, but put together they contradict each other.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4">[note 2]</a></sup> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Examples">Examples</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Examples">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li>Some <a href="/wiki/Axiom" title="Axiom">axioms</a> are self-refuting, and are held to be true in spite of this. <ul><li>For example, the claim "everything is subjective" would require the statement itself be objectively true and is thus self-negating; any attempt to rescue it using logic would fall prey to <a href="/wiki/Special_pleading" title="Special pleading">special pleading</a> by demanding one arbitrary exemption to the claim.</li> <li>Similarly, the attempt at proving the existence of <a href="/wiki/God" title="God">God</a> by positing that <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_first_cause" title="Argument from first cause">everything must have a cause</a>, while making one special exemption (namely, God) to the need for a cause, can fall prey to this as well.</li></ul></li></ul> <ul><li>Both <a href="/wiki/Religious" class="mw-redirect" title="Religious">religious</a> absolutists, who believe that judgement is God's, and <a href="/wiki/Moral_relativism" class="mw-redirect" title="Moral relativism">moral relativists</a>, who believe you cannot judge the morals of others, have a hard time defending their judgment of the opposing camp.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Logical_razor#Alder.27s_razor" title="Logical razor">Alder's Razor</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anti-science" class="mw-redirect" title="Anti-science">Anti-science</a> groups will often use scientific theories or methods which assume some of the things they're trying to refute; <a href="/wiki/Perpetual_motion" title="Perpetual motion">perpetual motion</a> claims are often based on the idea that <a href="/wiki/Quantum_physics" class="mw-redirect" title="Quantum physics">quantum physics</a> can be used to defeat the <a href="/wiki/Laws_of_thermodynamics" title="Laws of thermodynamics">laws of thermodynamics</a>, even though these laws are actually <i>assumptions</i> of quantum theory.</li></ul> <ul><li>"I do not exist" — The speaker denies the idea that they exist, but in the very act of making the statement, they presume their existence. Interestingly, people with some forms of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotard_delusion" class="extiw" title="wp:Cotard delusion" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Cotard delusion">Cotard delusion</span></a><sup><img alt="Wikipedia" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> believe that they do not exist and thus manifest this.</li></ul> <ul><li>"<a href="/wiki/Reality" title="Reality">Reality</a> is a(n) <a href="/wiki/Simulated_reality" title="Simulated reality">illusion/simulation/hallucination</a>" — The concepts of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusion" class="extiw" title="wp:Illusion" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Illusion">illusion</span></a>",<sup><img alt="Wikipedia" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> "simulation", and "<a href="/wiki/Hallucination" title="Hallucination">hallucination</a>" are derived from the concept of "reality"; that is, they can make no sense unless there is indeed a true "reality" with which either may be contrasted. Note that this is not a refutation of <a href="/wiki/Solipsism" title="Solipsism">solipsism</a> or other forms of philosophical skepticism which argue that what one believes/perceives to be reality is/could be an illusion, or that reality itself is reducible to one’s mental content. Neither position proposes the absence of reality; they simply propose that humans are not capable of <i>correctly <b>perceiving</b></i> reality.</li></ul> <ul><li>"Logic is illogical" — self-evidently contradictory, as logic defines what is logical.</li></ul> <ul><li>"The real question is not whether machines think, but whether humans do." — The act of pondering who (if anybody) thinks is, itself, thinking.</li></ul> <ul><li>"<a href="/wiki/Liar_paradox" title="Liar paradox">This statement is False</a>"</li></ul> <ul><li>"<a href="/wiki/Atheists_hate_god" title="Atheists hate god">There are atheists who hate God</a>(s)" — This is laughable on its face, since any atheist who hated a God would by necessity believe in that particular God, and therefore no longer be an atheist.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[note 3]</a></sup></li></ul> <ul><li>The widely repeated urban legend that David Rice Atchison was <a href="/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States">President of the United States</a> for one day in 1849, since President-elect <a href="/wiki/Zachary_Taylor" title="Zachary Taylor">Zachary Taylor</a> refused to take the Oath of Office on Inauguration Day since it was a Sunday. But Atchison didn’t swear the Oath either, so if this makes Taylor not President, then Atchison certainly isn’t President.</li></ul> <h3><span id="Statements_or_concepts_involving_explicit_or_implicit_absolutes/universals"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Statements_or_concepts_involving_explicit_or_implicit_absolutes.2Funiversals">Statements or concepts involving explicit or implicit absolutes/universals</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Statements or concepts involving explicit or implicit absolutes/universals">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Although statements and concepts involving them explicitly and implicitly which are not self-refuting ideas do indeed exist, absolutes and universals generally create these readily due to their nature of allowing no exception to be given and thus requiring an <a href="/wiki/Escape_hatch" title="Escape hatch">escape hatch</a> to get out of any apparent exception. </p> <ul><li>The concepts of divine <a href="/wiki/Omnipotence" title="Omnipotence">omnipotence</a>, <a href="/wiki/Omniscience" title="Omniscience">omniscience</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Omnibenevolence" title="Omnibenevolence">omnibenevolence</a> present a battery of possible contradictions, such as "<a href="/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox" title="Omnipotence paradox">If God is all-powerful, can He create a rock He cannot lift</a>", "<a href="/wiki/Problem_of_evil" title="Problem of evil">If God is all-loving and all-powerful, how could evil and suffering exist</a>", or “What can ‘<a href="/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a>’ mean in a world with a God who knows everything, including what we will do and what we would do in reaction to anything She does?”.</li></ul> <ul><li>"Whether or not any form of actually valid/strong argument exists, no <a href="/wiki/Valid" class="mw-redirect" title="Valid">valid</a>/strong argument can really be <a href="/wiki/Soundness" class="mw-redirect" title="Soundness">sound</a>/cogent" (“Every argument must contain a false premise/only goes as deep as definitions”) — The speaker may not be calling logic out as "arbitrary" or "illogical" explicitly, but nevertheless denies the real possibility of any logical deduction or induction at all. But how could any arbitrary or illogical "deduction" or "induction" even be possible to determine without contrasting it with what deduction or induction is known to be logical?</li></ul> <ul><li>"There is not really anything" — The speaker may not be invoking the concept "illusion", "simulation", or "hallucination" explicitly, but nevertheless denies the real existence of anything at all. But the very act of speaking presupposes the real existence of an entity which is able to speak and a language containing at least only the relatively well-defined words being said and the grammar for accepting them in that particular order.</li></ul> <ul><li>"There is no sign that is really well-enough defined to be used" — The very use of any given sign generally presupposes that it is indeed well-enough defined to be used.</li></ul> <ul><li>"Everything is a(n) illusion/simulation/hallucination; nothing actually exists," — Even an illusion, simulation, or hallucination still <i>exists</i>, if only apparently. But the concept <i>apparently exists</i> can make no sense unless there is indeed something that "actually exists" with which anything else may be contrasted.</li></ul> <ul><li>"All knowledge is doubtful" (“Question Everything”) —</li></ul> <table style="margin: auto; border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tbody><tr> <td><div style="padding:4px 50px;position:relative;"><span style="position:absolute;left:10px;top:-6px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">“</span><span style="position:absolute;right:10px;bottom:-20px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">”</span>If you tried to doubt everything you would not get as far as doubting anything. The game of doubting itself presupposes certainty.</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—<a href="/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein" title="Ludwig Wittgenstein">Ludwig Wittgenstein</a> #115 from <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Certainty">On Certainty</a></i></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hitchens%27s_razor" class="mw-redirect" title="Hitchens's razor">”That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.”</a> But <a href="/wiki/Argument_by_assertion" title="Argument by assertion">no evidence is provided that such dismissal is justified</a>, so <i>it</i> can be dismissed without evidence, but then it can be asserted without evidence again, and be dismissed again, and so on <i>ad infinitum</i>.</li></ul> <ul><li>”Nothing is certain” and/or “There are no absolutes”. If nothing is certain, then the statement that “nothing is certain” is, itself, not certain. This would mean it is possible that something <i>is</i> certain. Basically, claiming that “nothing is certain” implies that something might be certain. Stating that there are no absolutes is even more direct in refuting itself. If there are no absolutes, then the statement, itself, is not absolute, so there must be something absolute out there to stop the statement from being absolute.</li></ul> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Christianity">Christianity</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Christianity">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>The proponents of "<a href="/wiki/Presuppositionalism" title="Presuppositionalism">presuppositional apologetics</a>" (for example, Gordon H. Clark) accuse any arguments against the existence of God of committing the Stolen Concept Fallacy on the grounds that any arguments from logic, induction, or morality allegedly presuppose the existence of God (see the <a href="/wiki/Transcendental_argument_for_God" title="Transcendental argument for God">transcendental argument for God</a>). This is an incorrect application of the Stolen Concept fallacy, with its question-begging starting premise (X could only be sourced in my God; X exists; therefore my God exists). </p><p>Methods of rebuttal could include showing that logic does not require God — e.g., the alleged Divine Attributes (<a href="/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox" title="Omnipotence paradox">omnipotence paradox</a>) are or the idea of Creation <i>ex nihlio</i>, at least relative to an isolated system, is inherently illogical; that induction does not require God — e.g., <a href="/wiki/Miracle" title="Miracle">miracles</a> undermine the natural order, hence making induction faulty if God exists; and/or that objective morality does not require God — e.g., if God is the source of <a href="/wiki/Morality" title="Morality">morality</a>, then morality <a href="/wiki/Divine_command_theory" title="Divine command theory">reduces to subjective divine commands</a>. </p><p>In all cases, speakers and listeners presuppose the validity of logic and induction by the very enterprise of engaging in argument; correct arguments then use logic and induction to discover whether postulated entity X (such as God) exists. Presuppositional apologetics / the transcendental argument, in negating the validity of logic and induction (until and unless the speaker's God is conceded to exist), is the side committing a Stolen Concept fallacy. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Conspiracy_theory" title="Conspiracy theory">Conspiracy theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Correlation_does_not_equal_causation" class="mw-redirect" title="Correlation does not equal causation">Correlation does not equal causation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/False_analogy" title="False analogy">False analogy</a></li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: External links">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070813183250/http://www.cuyamaca.net/bruce.thompson/Fallacies/cancelling.asp">Canceling Hypotheses (Conspiracy Theory)</a>, Bruce Thompson</li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Notes">Notes</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Notes">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="references-small" style="font-size:90%;"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-2">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">However, <i>reductio ad absurdum</i> can be <i>particularly</i> useful for <i>illustrating</i> <b>how and why</b> a self-refuting idea is self-refuting.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-4">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Kettle logic is technically distinct from the blunder that <a href="/wiki/TV_Tropes" title="TV Tropes">TV Tropes</a> refers to as "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/INeverSaidItWasPoison">I Never Said It Was Poison</a>" (demonstrating possession of knowledge that one <b>could not have</b> without being guilty of, involved with, actively investigating, or at the <i>very</i> least a witness to some crime or offense that one is denying culpability for), but it is entirely possible for the two to be combined, as at least one doctor attempting to drive away medical record collectors has learned the hard way.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[2]</a></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Atheists <a href="/wiki/Antitheism" title="Antitheism">may dislike God</a> (the character, not the concept), similar to how audiences might dislike any character that displays traits they find repulsive.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: References">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2; font-size:80%;"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Pierre-Joseph_Proudhon.html">Pierre-Joseph Proudhon</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-3">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Not Always Right, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://notalwaysright.com/hes-telling-a-shaggy-dog-story/">He's Telling A Shaggy Dog Story</a>".</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div role="navigation" aria-labelledby="logical_fallacies-navbox" style="clear:both;"> <table class="toccolours collapsible collapsed autocollapse innercollapse outercollapse navbox nowraplinks" style="width:100%;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="4" style="background:#009761; color:white; text-align:center;"><div style="float:left;" class="navbar"><div class="vte plainlinks" style="font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"><a href="/wiki/Template:Logfal" title="Template:Logfal"><span style="color:white">v</span></a> - <a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Logfal" title="Template talk:Logfal"><span style="color:white">t</span></a> - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Logfal&action=edit"><span style="color:white">e</span></a></div></div><span style="color:white; font-size:120%"><a href="/wiki/Category:Navigation_templates" title="Category:Navigation templates"><span style="color:white">Articles</span></a> about <a href="/wiki/Logical_fallacy" title="Logical fallacy"><span id="logical_fallacies-navbox" style="color:white">logical fallacies</span></a></span> </th></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="background:#009761; width:25%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Informal_fallacies" title="Category:Informal fallacies"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Informal fallacies:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_tradition" title="Appeal to tradition">Appeal to tradition</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_novelty" title="Appeal to novelty">Appeal to novelty</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_nature" title="Appeal to nature">Appeal to nature</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_morality" title="Argument from morality">Argument from morality</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_martyrdom" title="Argumentum ad martyrdom">Argumentum ad martyrdom</a> • <a href="/wiki/Big_words" title="Big words">Big words</a> • <a href="/wiki/Certum_est_quia_impossibile_est" title="Certum est quia impossibile est">Certum est quia impossibile est</a> • <a href="/wiki/Morton%27s_fork" title="Morton's fork">Morton's fork</a> • <a href="/wiki/Friend_argument" title="Friend argument">Friend argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Exception_that_proves_the_rule" title="Exception that proves the rule">Exception that proves the rule</a> • <a href="/wiki/Extended_analogy" title="Extended analogy">Extended analogy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Hindsight_bias" title="Hindsight bias">Hindsight bias</a> • <a href="/wiki/Race_card" title="Race card">Race card</a> • <a href="/wiki/Moralistic_fallacy" title="Moralistic fallacy">Moralistic fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Release_the_data" title="Release the data">Release the data</a> • <a href="/wiki/Gish_Gallop" title="Gish Gallop">Gish Gallop</a> • <a href="/wiki/Terrorism-baiting" title="Terrorism-baiting">Terrorism-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/Uncertainty_tactic" title="Uncertainty tactic">Uncertainty tactic</a> • <a href="/wiki/Greece-baiting" title="Greece-baiting">Greece-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/Ham_Hightail" title="Ham Hightail">Ham Hightail</a> • <a href="/wiki/Red-baiting" title="Red-baiting">Red-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/Gore%27s_Law" title="Gore's Law">Gore's Law</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nazi_analogies" title="Nazi analogies">Nazi analogies</a> • <a href="/wiki/Mistaking_the_map_for_the_territory" title="Mistaking the map for the territory">Mistaking the map for the territory</a> • <a href="/wiki/Red_herring" title="Red herring">Red herring</a> • <a href="/wiki/Quidquid_latine_dictum_sit,_altum_videtur" title="Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur">Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur</a> • <a href="/wiki/Presentism" title="Presentism">Presentism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Sunk_cost" title="Sunk cost">Sunk cost</a> • <a href="/wiki/Two_wrongs_make_a_right" title="Two wrongs make a right">Two wrongs make a right</a> • <a href="/wiki/Flying_carpet_fallacy" title="Flying carpet fallacy">Flying carpet fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/My_enemy%27s_enemy" title="My enemy's enemy">My enemy's enemy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_ancient_wisdom" title="Appeal to ancient wisdom">Appeal to ancient wisdom</a> • <a href="/wiki/Danth%27s_Law" title="Danth's Law">Danth's Law</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_lunam" title="Argumentum ad lunam">Argumentum ad lunam</a> • <a href="/wiki/Balance_fallacy" title="Balance fallacy">Balance fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Golden_hammer" title="Golden hammer">Golden hammer</a> • <a href="/wiki/Loaded_question" title="Loaded question">Loaded question</a> • <a href="/wiki/Escape_to_the_future" title="Escape to the future">Escape to the future</a> • <a href="/wiki/Word_magic" title="Word magic">Word magic</a> • <a href="/wiki/Spider-Man_fallacy" title="Spider-Man fallacy">Spider-Man fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Sanctioning_the_devil" title="Sanctioning the devil">Sanctioning the devil</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_mystery" title="Appeal to mystery">Appeal to mystery</a> • <a href="/wiki/Informal_fallacy" title="Informal fallacy">Informal fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Common_sense" title="Common sense">Common sense</a> • <a href="/wiki/Post-designation" title="Post-designation">Post-designation</a> • <a href="/wiki/Hyperbole" title="Hyperbole">Hyperbole</a> • <a href="/wiki/Relativist_fallacy" title="Relativist fallacy">Relativist fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Due_diligence" title="Due diligence">Due diligence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Straw_man" title="Straw man">Straw man</a> • <a href="/wiki/Good_old_days" title="Good old days">Good old days</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_probability" title="Appeal to probability">Appeal to probability</a> • <a href="/wiki/Infinite_regress" title="Infinite regress">Infinite regress</a> • <a href="/wiki/Circular_reasoning" title="Circular reasoning">Circular reasoning</a> • <a href="/wiki/Media_was_wrong_before" title="Media was wrong before">Media was wrong before</a> • <a href="/wiki/Is%E2%80%93ought_problem" title="Is–ought problem">Is–ought problem</a> • <a href="/wiki/Ad_iram" title="Ad iram">Ad iram</a> • <a href="/wiki/Just_asking_questions" title="Just asking questions">Just asking questions</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pink-baiting" title="Pink-baiting">Pink-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_faith" title="Appeal to faith">Appeal to faith</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_fear" title="Appeal to fear">Appeal to fear</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_bias" title="Appeal to bias">Appeal to bias</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_confidence" title="Appeal to confidence">Appeal to confidence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_consequences" title="Appeal to consequences">Appeal to consequences</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_emotion" title="Appeal to emotion">Appeal to emotion</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_flattery" title="Appeal to flattery">Appeal to flattery</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_gravity" title="Appeal to gravity">Appeal to gravity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_hate" title="Appeal to hate">Appeal to hate</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_omniscience" title="Argument from omniscience">Argument from omniscience</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_silence" title="Argument from silence">Argument from silence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_baculum" title="Argumentum ad baculum">Argumentum ad baculum</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_fastidium" title="Argumentum ad fastidium">Argumentum ad fastidium</a> • <a href="/wiki/Association_fallacy" title="Association fallacy">Association fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Broken_window_fallacy" title="Broken window fallacy">Broken window fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Category_mistake" title="Category mistake">Category mistake</a> • <a href="/wiki/Confounding_factor" title="Confounding factor">Confounding factor</a> • <a href="/wiki/Counterfactual_fallacy" title="Counterfactual fallacy">Counterfactual fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Courtier%27s_Reply" title="Courtier's Reply">Courtier's Reply</a> • <a href="/wiki/Damning_with_faint_praise" title="Damning with faint praise">Damning with faint praise</a> • <a href="/wiki/Definitional_fallacies" title="Definitional fallacies">Definitional fallacies</a> • <a href="/wiki/Equivocation" title="Equivocation">Equivocation</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_accent" title="Fallacy of accent">Fallacy of accent</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_accident" title="Fallacy of accident">Fallacy of accident</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_amphiboly" title="Fallacy of amphiboly">Fallacy of amphiboly</a> • <a href="/wiki/Gambler%27s_fallacy" title="Gambler's fallacy">Gambler's fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Imprecision_fallacy" title="Imprecision fallacy">Imprecision fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts" title="Moving the goalposts">Moving the goalposts</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nirvana_fallacy" title="Nirvana fallacy">Nirvana fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Overprecision" title="Overprecision">Overprecision</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pathos_gambit" title="Pathos gambit">Pathos gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pragmatic_fallacy" title="Pragmatic fallacy">Pragmatic fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Quote_mining" title="Quote mining">Quote mining</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_sarcina_inserta" title="Argumentum ad sarcina inserta">Argumentum ad sarcina inserta</a> • <a href="/wiki/Science_doesn%27t_know_everything" title="Science doesn't know everything">Science doesn't know everything</a> • <a href="/wiki/Slothful_induction" title="Slothful induction">Slothful induction</a> • <a href="/wiki/Spotlight_fallacy" title="Spotlight fallacy">Spotlight fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Style_over_substance" title="Style over substance">Style over substance</a> • <a href="/wiki/Toupee_fallacy" title="Toupee fallacy">Toupee fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Genuine_but_insignificant_cause" title="Genuine but insignificant cause">Genuine but insignificant cause</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_incredulity" title="Argument from incredulity">Argument from incredulity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_age" title="Appeal to age">Appeal to age</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_nauseam" title="Argumentum ad nauseam">Argumentum ad nauseam</a> • <a href="/wiki/Phantom_distinction" title="Phantom distinction">Phantom distinction</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_common_sense" title="Appeal to common sense">Appeal to common sense</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_hysteria" title="Argumentum ad hysteria">Argumentum ad hysteria</a> • <a href="/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox" title="Omnipotence paradox">Omnipotence paradox</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_etymology" title="Argument from etymology">Argument from etymology</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_trauma" title="Appeal to trauma">Appeal to trauma</a> • <a href="/wiki/Countless_counterfeits_fallacy" title="Countless counterfeits fallacy">Countless counterfeits fallacy</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Ad_hoc" title="Category:Ad hoc"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Ad hoc:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/No_True_Scotsman" title="No True Scotsman">No True Scotsman</a> • <a href="/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts" title="Moving the goalposts">Moving the goalposts</a> • <a href="/wiki/Escape_hatch" title="Escape hatch">Escape hatch</a> • <a href="/wiki/Handwave" title="Handwave">Handwave</a> • <a href="/wiki/Special_pleading" title="Special pleading">Special pleading</a> • <a href="/wiki/Slothful_induction" title="Slothful induction">Slothful induction</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nirvana_fallacy" title="Nirvana fallacy">Nirvana fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/God_of_the_gaps" title="God of the gaps">God of the gaps</a> • <a href="/wiki/PIDOOMA" title="PIDOOMA">PIDOOMA</a> • <a href="/wiki/Ad_hoc" title="Ad hoc">Ad hoc</a> • <a href="/wiki/Tone_argument" title="Tone argument">Tone argument</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Arguments_from_ignorance" title="Category:Arguments from ignorance"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Arguments from ignorance:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Science_doesn%27t_know_everything" title="Science doesn't know everything">Science doesn't know everything</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_incredulity" title="Argument from incredulity">Argument from incredulity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_silence" title="Argument from silence">Argument from silence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Toupee_fallacy" title="Toupee fallacy">Toupee fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_censorship" title="Appeal to censorship">Appeal to censorship</a> • <a href="/wiki/Science_was_wrong_before" title="Science was wrong before">Science was wrong before</a> • <a href="/wiki/Holmesian_fallacy" title="Holmesian fallacy">Holmesian fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_omniscience" title="Argument from omniscience">Argument from omniscience</a> • <a href="/wiki/Willful_ignorance" title="Willful ignorance">Willful ignorance</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_ignorance" title="Argument from ignorance">Argument from ignorance</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Causation_fallacies" title="Category:Causation fallacies"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Causation fallacies:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Post_hoc,_ergo_propter_hoc" title="Post hoc, ergo propter hoc">Post hoc, ergo propter hoc</a> • <a href="/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation" title="Correlation does not imply causation">Correlation does not imply causation</a> • <a href="/wiki/Wrong_direction" title="Wrong direction">Wrong direction</a> • <a href="/wiki/Counterfactual_fallacy" title="Counterfactual fallacy">Counterfactual fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Regression_fallacy" title="Regression fallacy">Regression fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Gambler%27s_fallacy" title="Gambler's fallacy">Gambler's fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Denying_the_antecedent" title="Denying the antecedent">Denying the antecedent</a> • <a href="/wiki/Genuine_but_insignificant_cause" title="Genuine but insignificant cause">Genuine but insignificant cause</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Circular_reasoning" title="Category:Circular reasoning"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Circular reasoning:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Infinite_regress" title="Infinite regress">Infinite regress</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_by_assertion" title="Argument by assertion">Argument by assertion</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_dictionarium" title="Argumentum ad dictionarium">Argumentum ad dictionarium</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_faith" title="Appeal to faith">Appeal to faith</a> • <a href="/wiki/Circular_reasoning" title="Circular reasoning">Circular reasoning</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Emotional_appeals" title="Category:Emotional appeals"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Emotional appeals:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_fear" title="Appeal to fear">Appeal to fear</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_emotion" title="Appeal to emotion">Appeal to emotion</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_confidence" title="Appeal to confidence">Appeal to confidence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Deepity" title="Deepity">Deepity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_baculum" title="Argumentum ad baculum">Argumentum ad baculum</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_shame" title="Appeal to shame">Appeal to shame</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_flattery" title="Appeal to flattery">Appeal to flattery</a> • <a href="/wiki/Tone_argument" title="Tone argument">Tone argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_money" title="Appeal to money">Appeal to money</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_fastidium" title="Argumentum ad fastidium">Argumentum ad fastidium</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_gravity" title="Appeal to gravity">Appeal to gravity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_consequences" title="Appeal to consequences">Appeal to consequences</a> • <a href="/wiki/Loaded_language" title="Loaded language">Loaded language</a> • <a href="/wiki/Style_over_substance" title="Style over substance">Style over substance</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_pity" title="Appeal to pity">Appeal to pity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_hate" title="Appeal to hate">Appeal to hate</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pathos_gambit" title="Pathos gambit">Pathos gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Shaming" title="Shaming">Shaming</a> • <a href="/wiki/Degenerate" title="Degenerate">Degenerate</a> • <a href="/wiki/Abomination" title="Abomination">Abomination</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Fallacies_of_ambiguity" title="Category:Fallacies of ambiguity"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Fallacies of ambiguity:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_accent" title="Fallacy of accent">Fallacy of accent</a> • <a href="/wiki/Equivocation" title="Equivocation">Equivocation</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_amphiboly" title="Fallacy of amphiboly">Fallacy of amphiboly</a> • <a href="/wiki/Quote_mining" title="Quote mining">Quote mining</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_ambiguity" title="Fallacy of ambiguity">Fallacy of ambiguity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Moral_equivalence" title="Moral equivalence">Moral equivalence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Scope_fallacy" title="Scope fallacy">Scope fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Suppressed_correlative" title="Suppressed correlative">Suppressed correlative</a> • <a href="/wiki/Not_as_bad_as" title="Not as bad as">Not as bad as</a> • <a href="/wiki/Etymology" title="Etymology">Etymology</a> • <a href="/wiki/Continuum_fallacy" title="Continuum fallacy">Continuum fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Wronger_than_wrong" title="Wronger than wrong">Wronger than wrong</a> • <a href="/wiki/Definitional_fallacies" title="Definitional fallacies">Definitional fallacies</a> • <a href="/wiki/Code_word" title="Code word">Code word</a> • <a href="/wiki/Phantom_distinction" title="Phantom distinction">Phantom distinction</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="background:#009761; width:25%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Formal_fallacies" title="Category:Formal fallacies"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Formal fallacies:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Confusion_of_the_inverse" title="Confusion of the inverse">Confusion of the inverse</a> • <a href="/wiki/Denying_the_antecedent" title="Denying the antecedent">Denying the antecedent</a> • <a href="/wiki/Non_sequitur" title="Non sequitur">Non sequitur</a> • <a href="/wiki/Affirmative_conclusion_from_a_negative_premise" title="Affirmative conclusion from a negative premise">Affirmative conclusion from a negative premise</a> • <a href="/wiki/Not_even_wrong" title="Not even wrong">Not even wrong</a> • <a href="/wiki/Chewbacca_Defense" title="Chewbacca Defense">Chewbacca Defense</a> • <a href="/wiki/Affirming_a_disjunct" title="Affirming a disjunct">Affirming a disjunct</a> • <a href="/wiki/Illicit_process" title="Illicit process">Illicit process</a> • <a href="/wiki/Four-term_fallacy" title="Four-term fallacy">Four-term fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Negative_conclusion_from_affirmative_premises" title="Negative conclusion from affirmative premises">Negative conclusion from affirmative premises</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_fallacy" title="Fallacy fallacy">Fallacy fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Substituting_explanation_for_premise" title="Substituting explanation for premise">Substituting explanation for premise</a> • <a href="/wiki/Enthymeme" title="Enthymeme">Enthymeme</a> • <a href="/wiki/Syllogism" title="Syllogism">Syllogism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Formal_fallacy" title="Formal fallacy">Formal fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Existential_assumption" title="Existential assumption">Existential assumption</a> • <a href="/wiki/Masked_man_fallacy" title="Masked man fallacy">Masked man fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_by_gibberish" title="Argument by gibberish">Argument by gibberish</a> • <a href="/wiki/One_single_proof" title="One single proof">One single proof</a> • <a href="/wiki/Affirming_the_consequent" title="Affirming the consequent">Affirming the consequent</a> • <a href="/wiki/False_dilemma" title="False dilemma">False dilemma</a> • <a href="/wiki/Conjunction_fallacy" title="Conjunction fallacy">Conjunction fallacy</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="background:#009761; width:25%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Fallacious_arguments" title="Category:Fallacious arguments"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Fallacious arguments:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Bumblebee_argument" title="Bumblebee argument">Bumblebee argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fatwa_envy" title="Fatwa envy">Fatwa envy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Gotcha_argument" title="Gotcha argument">Gotcha argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Hoyle%27s_fallacy" title="Hoyle's fallacy">Hoyle's fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Intuition_pump" title="Intuition pump">Intuition pump</a> • <a href="/wiki/Logic_and_Creation" title="Logic and Creation">Logic and Creation</a> • <a href="/wiki/Not_Circular_Reasoning" title="Not Circular Reasoning">Not Circular Reasoning</a> • <a href="/wiki/Peanut_butter_argument" title="Peanut butter argument">Peanut butter argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Great_Beethoven_fallacy" title="Great Beethoven fallacy">Great Beethoven fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_unique_founding_conditions" title="Fallacy of unique founding conditions">Fallacy of unique founding conditions</a> • <a href="/wiki/Evil_is_the_absence_of_God" title="Evil is the absence of God">Evil is the absence of God</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_first_cause" title="Argument from first cause">Argument from first cause</a> • <a href="/wiki/How_do_you_know%3F_Were_you_there%3F" title="How do you know? Were you there?">How do you know? Were you there?</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_design" title="Argument from design">Argument from design</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_beauty" title="Argument from beauty">Argument from beauty</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_nature" title="Appeal to nature">Appeal to nature</a> • <a href="/wiki/Solferino_fallacy" title="Solferino fallacy">Solferino fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Religious_scientists" title="Religious scientists">Religious scientists</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nothing_to_hide" title="Nothing to hide">Nothing to hide</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_fine_tuning" title="Argument from fine tuning">Argument from fine tuning</a> • <a href="/wiki/Creep_shaming" title="Creep shaming">Creep shaming</a> • <a href="/wiki/%22I_used_to_be_an_atheist%22" title=""I used to be an atheist"">"I used to be an atheist"</a> • <a href="/wiki/Atheism_as_a_religion" title="Atheism as a religion">Atheism as a religion</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum" title="Argumentum ad populum">Argumentum ad populum</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_morality" title="Argument from morality">Argument from morality</a> • <a href="/wiki/Anti-environmentalism" title="Anti-environmentalism">Anti-environmentalism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_bias" title="Appeal to bias">Appeal to bias</a> • <a href="/wiki/Apophasis" title="Apophasis">Apophasis</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_nauseam" title="Argumentum ad nauseam">Argumentum ad nauseam</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_censorship" title="Appeal to censorship">Appeal to censorship</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_sarcina_inserta" title="Argumentum ad sarcina inserta">Argumentum ad sarcina inserta</a> • <a href="/wiki/Blaming_the_victim" title="Blaming the victim">Blaming the victim</a> • <a href="/wiki/Bait-and-switch" title="Bait-and-switch">Bait-and-switch</a> • <a href="/wiki/Danth%27s_Law" title="Danth's Law">Danth's Law</a> • <a href="/wiki/Chewbacca_Defense" title="Chewbacca Defense">Chewbacca Defense</a> • <a href="/wiki/Canard" title="Canard">Canard</a> • <a href="/wiki/DARVO" title="DARVO">DARVO</a> • <a href="/wiki/Demonization" title="Demonization">Demonization</a> • <a href="/wiki/Escape_hatch" title="Escape hatch">Escape hatch</a> • <a href="/wiki/Friend_argument" title="Friend argument">Friend argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Everyone_is_racist" title="Everyone is racist">Everyone is racist</a> • <a href="/wiki/Gish_Gallop" title="Gish Gallop">Gish Gallop</a> • <a href="/wiki/Greece-baiting" title="Greece-baiting">Greece-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/Gore%27s_Law" title="Gore's Law">Gore's Law</a> • <a href="/wiki/Ham_Hightail" title="Ham Hightail">Ham Hightail</a> • <a href="/wiki/Just_asking_questions" title="Just asking questions">Just asking questions</a> • <a href="/wiki/Leading_question" title="Leading question">Leading question</a> • <a href="/wiki/Loaded_language" title="Loaded language">Loaded language</a> • <a href="/wiki/Linking_to_authority" title="Linking to authority">Linking to authority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Loaded_question" title="Loaded question">Loaded question</a> • <a href="/wiki/Lying_by_omission" title="Lying by omission">Lying by omission</a> • <a href="/wiki/Motte_and_bailey" title="Motte and bailey">Motte and bailey</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nazi_analogies" title="Nazi analogies">Nazi analogies</a> • <a href="/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts" title="Moving the goalposts">Moving the goalposts</a> • <a href="/wiki/One_single_proof" title="One single proof">One single proof</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pink-baiting" title="Pink-baiting">Pink-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/One-way_hash_argument" title="One-way hash argument">One-way hash argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pathos_gambit" title="Pathos gambit">Pathos gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Quote_mining" title="Quote mining">Quote mining</a> • <a href="/wiki/Poisoning_the_well" title="Poisoning the well">Poisoning the well</a> • <a href="/wiki/Quidquid_latine_dictum_sit,_altum_videtur" title="Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur">Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur</a> • <a href="/wiki/Race_card" title="Race card">Race card</a> • <a href="/wiki/Red-baiting" title="Red-baiting">Red-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/Red_herring" title="Red herring">Red herring</a> • <a href="/wiki/Release_the_data" title="Release the data">Release the data</a> • <a href="/wiki/Science_was_wrong_before" title="Science was wrong before">Science was wrong before</a> • <a href="/wiki/Shill_gambit" title="Shill gambit">Shill gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Straw_man" title="Straw man">Straw man</a> • <a href="/wiki/Silent_Majority" title="Silent Majority">Silent Majority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Uncertainty_tactic" title="Uncertainty tactic">Uncertainty tactic</a> • <a href="/wiki/Style_over_substance" title="Style over substance">Style over substance</a> • <a href="/wiki/Terrorism-baiting" title="Terrorism-baiting">Terrorism-baiting</a> • <a href="/wiki/Weasel_word" title="Weasel word">Weasel word</a> • <a href="/wiki/What%27s_the_harm_(logical_fallacy)" title="What's the harm (logical fallacy)">What's the harm (logical fallacy)</a> • <a href="/wiki/Whataboutism" title="Whataboutism">Whataboutism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Bullshit" title="Bullshit">Bullshit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Logical_fallacy" title="Logical fallacy">Logical fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Banana_argument" title="Banana argument">Banana argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Scapegoat" title="Scapegoat">Scapegoat</a> • <a href="/wiki/How_come_there_are_still_monkeys%3F" title="How come there are still monkeys?">How come there are still monkeys?</a> • <a href="/wiki/Anti-racist_is_a_code_word_for_anti-white" title="Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white">Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white</a> • <a href="/wiki/Ontological_argument" title="Ontological argument">Ontological argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox" title="Omnipotence paradox">Omnipotence paradox</a> • <a href="/wiki/Presuppositionalism" title="Presuppositionalism">Presuppositionalism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Just_a_joke" title="Just a joke">Just a joke</a> • <a href="/wiki/Countless_counterfeits_fallacy" title="Countless counterfeits fallacy">Countless counterfeits fallacy</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="background:#009761; width:25%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Conditional_fallacies" title="Category:Conditional fallacies"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Conditional fallacies:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Slippery_slope" title="Slippery slope">Slippery slope</a> • <a href="/wiki/What%27s_the_harm_(logical_fallacy)" title="What's the harm (logical fallacy)">What's the harm (logical fallacy)</a> • <a href="/wiki/Special_pleading" title="Special pleading">Special pleading</a> • <a href="/wiki/Conditional_fallacy" title="Conditional fallacy">Conditional fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/On_the_spot_fallacy" title="On the spot fallacy">On the spot fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_the_minority" title="Appeal to the minority">Appeal to the minority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum" title="Argumentum ad populum">Argumentum ad populum</a> • <a href="/wiki/Galileo_gambit" title="Galileo gambit">Galileo gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Professor_of_nothing" title="Professor of nothing">Professor of nothing</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Genetic_fallacies" title="Category:Genetic fallacies"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Genetic fallacies:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Genetic_fallacy" title="Genetic fallacy">Genetic fallacy</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="1" style="background:#009761; width:15%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Appeals_to_authority" title="Category:Appeals to authority"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Appeals to authority:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Ipse_dixit" title="Ipse dixit">Ipse dixit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_confidence" title="Appeal to confidence">Appeal to confidence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum" title="Argumentum ad populum">Argumentum ad populum</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argument_from_authority" title="Argument from authority">Argument from authority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Linking_to_authority" title="Linking to authority">Linking to authority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Silent_Majority" title="Silent Majority">Silent Majority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Invincible_authority" title="Invincible authority">Invincible authority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_celebrity" title="Appeal to celebrity">Appeal to celebrity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Ultracrepidarianism" title="Ultracrepidarianism">Ultracrepidarianism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_the_minority" title="Appeal to the minority">Appeal to the minority</a> • <a href="/wiki/Galileo_gambit" title="Galileo gambit">Galileo gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_identity" title="Appeal to identity">Appeal to identity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Weasel_word" title="Weasel word">Weasel word</a> • <a href="/wiki/Professor_of_nothing" title="Professor of nothing">Professor of nothing</a> • <a href="/wiki/Euthyphro_dilemma" title="Euthyphro dilemma">Euthyphro dilemma</a> • <a href="/wiki/Divine_command_theory" title="Divine command theory">Divine command theory</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="1" style="background:#009761; width:15%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Ad_hominem" title="Category:Ad hominem"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Ad hominem:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Ad_iram" title="Ad iram">Ad iram</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_cellarium" title="Argumentum ad cellarium">Argumentum ad cellarium</a> • <a href="/wiki/Bulverism" title="Bulverism">Bulverism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Poisoning_the_well" title="Poisoning the well">Poisoning the well</a> • <a href="/wiki/Blaming_the_victim" title="Blaming the victim">Blaming the victim</a> • <a href="/wiki/Tu_quoque" title="Tu quoque">Tu quoque</a> • <a href="/wiki/Whataboutism" title="Whataboutism">Whataboutism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nutpicking" title="Nutpicking">Nutpicking</a> • <a href="/wiki/Jonanism" title="Jonanism">Jonanism</a> • <a href="/wiki/Demonization" title="Demonization">Demonization</a> • <a href="/wiki/Shill_gambit" title="Shill gambit">Shill gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_bias" title="Appeal to bias">Appeal to bias</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_opposition" title="Fallacy of opposition">Fallacy of opposition</a> • <a href="/wiki/Association_fallacy" title="Association fallacy">Association fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Damning_with_faint_praise" title="Damning with faint praise">Damning with faint praise</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pathos_gambit" title="Pathos gambit">Pathos gambit</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_identity" title="Appeal to identity">Appeal to identity</a> • <a href="/wiki/Argumentum_ad_hominem" title="Argumentum ad hominem">Argumentum ad hominem</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nazi_analogies" title="Nazi analogies">Nazi analogies</a> • <a href="/wiki/Not_an_argument" title="Not an argument">Not an argument</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nothing_to_hide" title="Nothing to hide">Nothing to hide</a> • <a href="/wiki/Scapegoat" title="Scapegoat">Scapegoat</a> • <a href="/wiki/%E5%9C%B0%E4%B8%8B%E5%AE%A4%E8%AE%BA%E8%AF%81" title="地下室论证">地下室论证</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td style="width:5%;">  </td> <td colspan="2" style="background:#009761; width:20%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Imprecision_fallacies" title="Category:Imprecision fallacies"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Imprecision fallacies:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Apex_fallacy" title="Apex fallacy">Apex fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Overprecision" title="Overprecision">Overprecision</a> • <a href="/wiki/Cherry_picking" title="Cherry picking">Cherry picking</a> • <a href="/wiki/Overgeneralization" title="Overgeneralization">Overgeneralization</a> • <a href="/wiki/Texas_sharpshooter_fallacy" title="Texas sharpshooter fallacy">Texas sharpshooter fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/False_analogy" title="False analogy">False analogy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Appeal_to_fiction" title="Appeal to fiction">Appeal to fiction</a> • <a href="/wiki/Spotlight_fallacy" title="Spotlight fallacy">Spotlight fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Pragmatic_fallacy" title="Pragmatic fallacy">Pragmatic fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Selection_bias" title="Selection bias">Selection bias</a> • <a href="/wiki/Anecdotal_evidence" title="Anecdotal evidence">Anecdotal evidence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Category_mistake" title="Category mistake">Category mistake</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nutpicking" title="Nutpicking">Nutpicking</a> • <a href="/wiki/Imprecision_fallacy" title="Imprecision fallacy">Imprecision fallacy</a> • <a href="/wiki/Confounding_factor" title="Confounding factor">Confounding factor</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_of_accident" title="Fallacy of accident">Fallacy of accident</a> • <a href="/wiki/Neyman%27s_bias" title="Neyman's bias">Neyman's bias</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="background:#009761; width:25%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Valid_logical_methods" title="Category:Valid logical methods"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Valid logical methods:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/Rapoport%27s_Rules" title="Rapoport's Rules">Rapoport's Rules</a> • <a href="/wiki/Negative_evidence" title="Negative evidence">Negative evidence</a> • <a href="/wiki/Reductio_ad_absurdum" title="Reductio ad absurdum">Reductio ad absurdum</a> • </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="background:#009761; width:25%; text-align:right;"><b><a href="/wiki/Category:Fallacy_collections" title="Category:Fallacy collections"><span style="color:white; font-size:125%">Fallacy collections:</span></a></b> </td> <td style="background:#FFFFFF;"> <a href="/wiki/SeekFind" title="SeekFind">SeekFind</a> • <a href="/wiki/Nizkor_Project" title="Nizkor Project">Nizkor Project</a> • <a href="/wiki/Fallacy_Files" title="Fallacy Files">Fallacy Files</a> • <a href="/wiki/Your_Logical_Fallacy_Is" title="Your Logical Fallacy Is">Your Logical Fallacy Is</a> • <a href="/wiki/Logically_Fallacious" title="Logically Fallacious">Logically Fallacious</a> • </td></tr> </tbody></table> </div>    </div></div><div class="printfooter">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&oldid=2676599">https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&oldid=2676599</a>"</div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Logic" title="Category:Logic">Logic</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Fallacies" title="Category:Fallacies">Fallacies</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Circular_reasoning" title="Category:Circular reasoning">Circular reasoning</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Formal_fallacies" title="Category:Formal fallacies">Formal fallacies</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden category: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_using_DynamicPageList_parser_function" title="Category:Pages using DynamicPageList parser function">Pages using DynamicPageList parser function</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div id="mw-navigation"> <h2>Navigation menu</h2> <div id="mw-head">  <nav id="p-personal" class="vector-menu" aria-labelledby="p-personal-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-personal-label"> <span>Personal tools</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="pt-anonuserpage">Not logged in</li><li id="pt-anontalk"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n">Talk</a></li><li id="pt-anoncontribs"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y">Contributions</a></li><li id="pt-createaccount"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Self-refuting+idea" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory">Create account</a></li><li id="pt-login"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Self-refuting+idea" title="You are encouraged to log in; however, it is not mandatory [o]" accesskey="o">Log in</a></li></ul> </div> </nav> <div id="left-navigation">  <nav id="p-namespaces" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs vectorTabs" aria-labelledby="p-namespaces-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-namespaces-label"> <span>Namespaces</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected"><a href="/wiki/Self-refuting_idea" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c">Page</a></li><li id="ca-talk"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Self-refuting_idea" rel="discussion" title="Discussion about the content page [t]" accesskey="t">Talk</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-variants" class="vector-menu-empty emptyPortlet vector-menu vector-menu-dropdown vectorMenu" aria-labelledby="p-variants-label" role="navigation" > <input type="checkbox" class="vector-menu-checkbox vectorMenuCheckbox" aria-labelledby="p-variants-label" /> <h3 id="p-variants-label"> <span>Variants</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="menu vector-menu-content-list"></ul> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation">  <nav id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs vectorTabs" aria-labelledby="p-views-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-views-label"> <span>Views</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="ca-view" class="collapsible selected"><a href="/wiki/Self-refuting_idea">Read</a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="collapsible"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e">Edit</a></li><li id="ca-history" class="collapsible"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h">Fossil record</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu-empty emptyPortlet vector-menu vector-menu-dropdown vectorMenu" aria-labelledby="p-cactions-label" role="navigation" > <input type="checkbox" class="vector-menu-checkbox vectorMenuCheckbox" aria-labelledby="p-cactions-label" /> <h3 id="p-cactions-label"> <span>More</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="menu vector-menu-content-list"></ul> </div> </nav> <div id="p-search" role="search"> <h3 > <label for="searchInput">Search</label> </h3> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform"> <div id="simpleSearch"> <input type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search RationalWiki" title="Search RationalWiki [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput"/> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> <input type="submit" name="fulltext" value="Search" title="Search the pages for this text" id="mw-searchButton" class="searchButton mw-fallbackSearchButton"/> <input type="submit" name="go" value="Go" title="Go to a page with this exact name if it exists" id="searchButton" class="searchButton"/> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div id="mw-panel"> <div id="p-logo" role="banner"> <a title="Visit the main page" class="mw-wiki-logo" href="/wiki/Main_Page"></a> </div>  <nav id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal portal-first" aria-labelledby="p-navigation-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-navigation-label"> <span>Navigation</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-mainpage-description"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z">Main page</a></li><li id="n-recentchanges"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes in the wiki [r]" accesskey="r">Recent changes</a></li><li id="n-randompage"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Load a random mainspace article [x]" accesskey="x">Random page</a></li><li id="n-New-pages"><a href="/wiki/Special:NewPages">New pages</a></li><li id="n-All-logs"><a href="/wiki/Special:Log">All logs</a></li><li id="n-help"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="RTFM">Help</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-support" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-support-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-support-label"> <span>Support</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-Donate"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Site_support">Donate</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-community" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-community-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-community-label"> <span>Community</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-Saloon-bar"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Saloon_bar">Saloon bar</a></li><li id="n-To-do-list"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:To_do_list">To do list</a></li><li id="n-What-is-going-on.3F"><a href="/wiki/WIGO">What is going on?</a></li><li id="n-Best-of-RationalWiki"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Contents">Best of RationalWiki</a></li><li id="n-About-RationalWiki"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki">About RationalWiki</a></li><li id="n-Technical-support"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Technical_support">Technical support</a></li><li id="n-Mod-noticeboard"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki_talk:All_things_in_moderation">Mod noticeboard</a></li><li id="n-RMF-noticeboard"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki_talk:RationalMedia_Foundation">RMF noticeboard</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-Social media" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-Social media-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-Social media-label"> <span>Social media</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="n-Twitter"><a href="https://twitter.com/RationalWiki" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></li><li id="n-Facebook"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rationalwiki/226614404019306" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></li><li id="n-Discord"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Discord">Discord</a></li><li id="n-Reddit"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Reddit">Reddit</a></li></ul> </div> </nav>  <nav id="p-tb" class="vector-menu vector-menu-portal portal" aria-labelledby="p-tb-label" role="navigation" > <h3 id="p-tb-label"> <span>Tools</span> </h3>  <div class="body vector-menu-content">  <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"><li id="t-whatlinkshere"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Self-refuting_idea" title="A list of all wiki pages that link here [j]" accesskey="j">What links here</a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Self-refuting_idea" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k">Related changes</a></li><li id="t-specialpages"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q">Special pages</a></li><li id="t-print"><a href="javascript:print();" rel="alternate" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p">Printable version</a></li><li id="t-permalink"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&oldid=2676599" title="Permanent link to this revision of the page">Permanent link</a></li><li id="t-info"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Self-refuting_idea&action=info" title="More information about this page">Page information</a></li></ul> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" role="contentinfo" > <ul id="footer-info" > <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 13 September 2024, at 17:05.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Unless explicitly noted otherwise, all content licensed as indicated by <a name="Copyright" href="//rationalwiki.org/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyrights">RationalWiki:Copyrights</a>. <br> For concerns on copyright infringement please see: <a name="Copyright infringement" href="//rationalwiki.org/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyright_violations">RationalWiki:Copyright violations</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places" > <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Privacy_policy" title="RationalWiki:Privacy policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:About" class="mw-redirect" title="RationalWiki:About">About RationalWiki</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimer"><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:General_disclaimer" title="RationalWiki:General disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"><img src="/w/88x31.png" alt="CC-BY-SA 3.0, or any later version" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"/></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_88x31.png" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" srcset="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"/></a></li> </ul> <div style="clear: both;"></div> </footer> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.191","walltime":"0.252","ppvisitednodes":{"value":2349,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":81884,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":4507,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":10,"limit":40},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":0,"limit":100},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":2504,"limit":5000000},"timingprofile":["100.00% 202.727 1 -total"," 75.44% 152.937 1 Template:Logfal"," 74.56% 151.158 1 Template:Navbox"," 15.86% 32.157 1 Template:Logicnav"," 15.00% 30.410 1 Template:Navsidebar"," 12.92% 26.188 2 Template:Navsidebar2"," 12.02% 24.364 2 Template:Randomarticles"," 2.15% 4.358 2 Template:Reflist"," 1.94% 3.933 1 Template:Main"," 1.30% 2.645 2 Template:Vte"]},"cachereport":{"origin":"apache5","timestamp":"20241212025142","ttl":86400,"transientcontent":false}}});mw.config.set({"wgBackendResponseTime":60,"wgHostname":"apache5"});});</script></body></html>