You Are Not So Smart 067 - The Fallacy Fallacy
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Jan 14, 2016 
Mike Rugnetta, a writer and host of PBS Digital Studios’ Idea Channel, dives into the complexities of logical fallacies and the notorious 'fallacy fallacy.' The conversation highlights how misunderstandings of logical arguments are rampant, especially online. Rugnetta discusses how the internet has changed communication, complicating public discourse. He emphasizes the importance of engaging critically with arguments, rather than simply dismissing them due to errors, and even adds a fun twist with a cookie tasting at the end!
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Internet Made Everyone A Writer
- The internet transformed written discourse so everyone now argues in written form like academics did before.
- Paul Graham warned this shift increases public disagreement and makes people angrier online.
Why Online Disagreements Multiply
- Disagreement propagates online because people only write long responses when they disagree, not when they agree.
- That dynamic makes online spaces look angrier and more polarized than they might be.
Arguments Are Structured Justifications
- An argument is a structure that justifies a conclusion from premises and can be evaluated step by step.
- You can map arguments formally to check whether premises truly support the conclusion.
