Identifying Logical Fallacies in a Text

Identifying Logical Fallacies in a Text
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Identifying Logical Fallacies in a Text
Logical fallacies refer to the errors contains in reasoning that prove the possibility of an argument or statement to be invalid. Mark Twain’s essay about the late Benjamin Franklin contains several deliberate fallacies that invalidate Twain’s arguments. First, Twain ‘s article has traces of Ad Hominen where he unfairly attacks people instead of supporting his contention. An example is when he mentions “will make a Franklin of every father’s fool” (Twain, 1983). In this case, he refers to every other person who is not Franklin as a fool. Second, Red Herring is spotted when he “He observed that the bayonet was very well under some circumstances, but that he doubted whether it could be used with accuracy at a long range” (Twain, 1983). In this case, he raises an argument that has no significance to the case and tries to use it to distract the reader from his claims. Thirdly, Twain (1983) presents Franklin’s maxims, short pieces of words, as the cause of all his life calamities such as his general debility and mental aberration. Moreover, “His maxims were full of animosity toward boys” indicates Strawman in his arguments as he describes the maxims as to cause extreme effects to other people than they actually are (Twain, 1983).
At the start of his essay, he presents claims that do not offer any logical meaning. He implies that Franklin was twins and was born at the same time in different locations.

This statement does not make any biological sense as it is impossible to be a single person and be twins at the same time and be born twice at different places at the same time. Twain (1983) arguments also have a few hasty generalizations. An example is when generalizes that the maxims and aphorism to be the cause of suffering to other people. In his statement, he lacks evidence to prove his claims. There is also equivocation in his essay. An example is when he seems to praise franklin’s kite invention when he in real sense criticizes it and blames it for interfering with Sabbath. Also, Twain (1983) claims “His simplest acts, also, were contrived to their being held up for the emulation of boys forever—boys who might otherwise have been happy” ignores other alternatives that would have caused the boys to be unhappy (Twain, 1983). Furthermore, he does not capture the possibility that if Franklin did not exist some of the boys might have still been unhappy.

Reference
Twain, M. (1983). THE LATE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. Saturday Evening Post, 255(2), 18-93. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.