Skip to main content
Log in

Teaching the Fallacies

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Argumentation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper’s thesis is that the fallacies should not be taught to undergraduates. Besides some bad influences, this is not only because doing so steals time more valuably spent elsewhere, but also because the field is now so complex (overlapping concepts, theories and disciplines), that we lack knowledgeable instructors and sophisticated students. The study of theories involving fallacies, however, remains viable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Blair, J. Anthony. 1995. The place of teaching informal fallacies in teaching reasoning skills or critical thinking. In H.V. Hansen & R.C. Pinto (eds.), 328–338.

  • Hamblin, C. L. 1970. Fallacies. London: Methuen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, Hans V., and Robert C. Pinto, eds. 1995. Fallacies, classical and contemporary readings. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hitchcock, David. 1995. Do fallacies have a place in the teaching of reasoning skills or critical thinking? In Fallacies, H.V. Hansen & R.C. Pinto (eds.) 319–327.

  • Johnson, Ralph H. & J. Anthony Blair. 1977. Logical self-defense. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

  • Nickerson, Raymond S. 2021. Argumentation, The Art of Persuasion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scriven, Michael. 1976. Reasoning. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tindale, Christopher W. 2007. Fallacies and Argument Appraisal. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Woods, John & Douglas Walton. 1989. Fallacies, collected Papers 1972–1982. Dordrecht and Providence: Foris Publications.

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Anthony Blair.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Blair, J.A. Teaching the Fallacies. Argumentation 37, 247–251 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-023-09604-x

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-023-09604-x

Keywords

Navigation