Logical Fallacies and Reasonable Arguments

Posted: November 28th, 2013

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Logical Fallacies and Reasonable Arguments

It is one thing to make an argument, but it is another to make an illogical argument. Illogical arguments are baseless and do not present any facts or real life situations which support the argument. In other words, the arguments are full of fallacies. The articles discussed below are about ethical issues. As one writer presents his argument logically, the other writer’s argument is full of fallacies and thus illogic.

The article posted on the Raspberry Column in the Washington Post on 21 December 2005 about Making Ethics Rules Stick tries to analyze the real causes of the bleach in corporate ethics. In this article, Raspberry tries to analyze the various strategies that have been used over the years in order make sure that employees remain ethical and why they have not yet fully worked. Although the methods have worked to some extent, a large portion of the mystery remains unsolved. Raspberry gives two cases where the “scare” method was used in order to make people behave ethically. The first occurrence was in the 1970s where tough talking prisoners were used to frighten young people from bad behaviors. The second occurrence has been happening recently where high-ranking corporate executives caught in fraudulent activities are being used to warn the rest of the people on the dangers of being unethical. Although the methods are effective in some way, Raspberry feels that the solution does not fully lie in such methods.

An article posted on Pakalert Press on the 28 August 2010 about Money and the Root of all Evil proves to be illogical and full of fallacies. According to the writer, the banking system is the cause of our money problems. The writer feels that if the paper money was done away with and the gold and silver were put in its place, then the bank would have no control over these precious metals. In fact, the writer adds that the Federal Reserve does not accumulate any interest on silver or gold. The writer further convinces the readers that the Federal Reserve can try to “regulate, confiscate and even regulate” (Pakalert Press 4) the metals but it cannot make any profits once it is made currency as it does with the current currencies.

Raspberry logically argues that the unethical cases in the corporate world are not entirely a result of untrained staff or incompetent training techniques. He feels these cases are caused by something more. He feels that these cases are caused by bad people. They are caused by bad people being made to rise up the corporate ladder. He gives examples of two well-known people by the name Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher (Raspberry 5), who made the news for conducting themselves illogically. After the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, companies use an estimate of $6.1 million dollars annually in staff training, yet such cases still rise up. The writer has given some real life examples to show that the training is not eradicating the problem.

On the other hand, the writer in the Pakalert Press fails to bring real life cases and facts. For example, he puts down that using silver and gold in place of the dollars would bring an immediate liberty restoration in the United States. This is a fallacy and illogical. He has not stated any facts or findings. They are merely allegations with no foundation. In other words, the writer implies that the problem is all in the kind of currency being used. The writer should understand that people give value to the money. The people decided that the dollar would become a medium of exchange. It is also important to understand that the paper money posses power because it is a medium of exchange and not because of its name. For example, if the paper we use to write on were given the name “Dollar” today, it would not be of more significance than it already is. In that case, the gold and the silver would stir up the same excitement, challenges and problems if it were to become a medium of exchange.

Both writers present ethical issues but in two different ways. Raspberry presents his issues with logic and real life situations that have been seen by the larger society. On the other hand, the Pakalert writer states his case about money without stating any facts or real life situations. Although it is a cause of many unethical related cases in the country, it is a fallacy to state that exchanging money for gold and silver would bring liberty. There are people who are unethical because they want power, they are selfish or because they want revenge with no connection to money.

It is significant to conduct ample research before presenting an argument. Even though the writer from the Pakalert Press might have been presenting his own ideas, it is relevant that the ideas be factual thus making the argument logic. There are people who will misguide, manipulate and do worse things because of gold or even silver. It is only essential to understand that a particular commodity is given value because of what it can do. If for example, a particular material such as silk was made the medium of exchange today, with all other factors held constant, it would most probably cause the same effects we are experiencing today. The key word here is the medium of exchange.

Raspberry’s conclusion implying that there might be a problem with the people themselves when it comes to ethical issues is quite logical. The corporate might be promoting the wrong type of people. Some people are just unethical and they would gladly use it for their own selfish gains. If the writer in Pakalert Press was to present his views in a logical manner, it is best that he uses facts and real life situations. Baseless allegations do not make a good foundation for an argument (Labossiere 2).

Works Cited

Labossiere, Michael C. Fallacies. The Nizkor Project, 2011. Web. 29 September, 2011. <http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/index.html>

Pakalert Press. Money and the Root of all Evil. Pakalert Press, 28 August, 2010. Web. 29 September, 2011. <http://www.pakalertpress.com/2010/08/28/money-and-the-root-of-all-evil/>

Raspberry, Williams. Making Ethics Rules Stick. Washington Post, 21 December, 2010. Web 29 September, 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/20/AR2005112000857.html>