The rights of individuals should be protected. If you allow the government to take away their freedom ofexpression, then you will be allowing government to dictate to other minorities what they can or cannot believein. Whether we are talking about moral values or a certain lifestyle, government is still infringing on people'srights as citizens of a free society, which is what this country is built on.Or consider this classic example of the fallacy of begging the question by novelist John Irving, put forth as an argumentfor the right to abort an unwanted child.If you expect people to be responsible for their children, then you have to give them the right to choose whetheror not to have children.For everyone expects people to be responsible for their children. But it does not follow (non-sequitur) that we musttherefore give people the right to kill their offspring. But that is precisely what pro-choice advocates need to show. Hisargument is identical in form to the following: "If you expect people to be responsible for their fellow citizens, you haveto give them the right to choose whether or not to pay income tax." Or, "If you expect teachers to be responsible for theirstudents, you have to give them the right to choose whether or not to have those very students."The Fallacy of Equivocation: This fallacy occurs when some word or expression is used with more than one meaning inan argument. For instance, consider the following argument:Addicts, who have serious emotional problems, tend to think in black and white terms, that is, they tend to beabsolutists.John argues that there are absolute moral precepts.Therefore, John has serious emotional problems.It is unreasonable to be so inflexible.Bill will not compromise (is inflexible) on abortion.Therefore, Bill is unreasonable.The Fallacy of False Analogy: This occurs when a person argues a position merely by drawing an analogy, withoutjustifying the use of the analogy. Comparing the issue of Same-Sex Marriage with Interracial Marriage in order to arguefor its legalization is an instance of the fallacy of false analogy; for homosexual activity is a behaviour, while belonging toa race is not.Consider the following that was argued on a discussion forum on the issue of abortion:The reality is that there is a gradual transition from germ cell to human being. Is a set of plans a building? Mostpeople would say no, not until there are foundations, walls, windows, a roof, etc., something resembling afunctional building. A zygote is really nothing but a set of plans. It has a set of instructions, but nothing else. Itwill become a genuine human only after a lot of materials are delivered and assembled properly.The analogy employed above is false. A living organism is not at all like an artifact, such as a computer or a building. Anorganism is a unified and living whole that has an internal principle of movement. An artifact is the sum of its parts, amultiplicity of substances--not one substance--and its principle of movement is not internal, but external, namely thebuilders.The Fallacy of Appeal to Extremes (or extremism): This fallacy involves concluding that a position or claim is falsebecause “it is extreme”. For example, concluding that the argument against gun control represents an extreme point ofview and that the truth is probably somewhere in the middle between an absolute ban on guns on the one hand, and no guncontrol on the other. This fallacy is an extrapolation of Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean. According to Aristotle, there arecertain virtues that are midway between the two extremes of excess and defect. Thus, the virtue of fortitude is the meanbetween the two extremes of cowardliness and foolhardiness. What Aristotle says here is true, but extrapolating theprinciple and applying it elsewhere involves us in non sequiturs. First, a virtue of moderation, such as fortitude, ortemperance, or humility, patience, magnanimity, etc., are virtues not because they are in the mean between two extremes;rather, they are virtues because justice determines them to be virtues, for justice is the measure of the virtues of
moderation. Cowardice is a vice not because it is an extreme, but because it is unjust. Now justice itself is not a virtue ofmoderation, but is an extreme. One is not just unless one is just all the time and everywhere, not just some of the time. Ifone is moderately just, one is unjust. So too, it does not follow that since a particular position is an extreme in relation tothe rest of the culture, it is false. Canadians typically do not eat snake, own firearms, or purchase private health insurance.But it does not follow that one ought not to argue for private health care or fewer gun restrictions, etc. This fallacy isoften nothing more than a form of cultural bigotry.
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