Think It Through: the Clearer Thinking Podcast Episode 21: Fallacy Watch--The False Dilemma Fallacy
In this episode, April discusses the false dilemma fallacy, in which a person attempts to persuade to you to choose between a limited number of options when there are actually more options available.
Episode 21 Show Notes:
Here's a great definition and discussion of the false dilemma fallacy:
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/false-dilemma-fallacy-examples.html
Another good explanation of this fallacy:
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/black-or-white
I admit to taking an example or two from this very good article about this fallacy:
https://www.developgoodhabits.com/either-or-fallacy/
This article talks about Dan Price, who lowered his own salary in order to raise the salaries of his employee (thus refuting the idea that prices must be raised to pay for wage increases):
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/369908
A very detailed discussion of the ways that politicians have used the false dilemma fallacy to frame the Covid-19 debate:
https://www.boisestate.edu/bluereview/covid-19-donald-trump-and-the-false-dilemma-fallacy/
An interesting opinion piece about the dangers of the false dilemma fallacy from the Deseret News (it's a Mormon-based newspaper, so don't be surprised by the religious references) by Sharlee Glenn, a Mormon writer who founded the nonprofit Mormon Women For Ethical Government:
https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2020/5/15/21258954/covid-19-pandemic-false-dichotomy-paradox-politics-equilibrium
These two journal articles show the rates of Covid in areas without mask mandates:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0249891
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2781283