Lecture Notes by Christopher Lay

Los Angeles Pierce College

Department of History, Philosophy, and Sociology

Mathew Van Cleave's 2016 Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking

https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/BookDetail.aspx?bookId=457

Chapter 4 "Informal fallacies", § 3 "Fallacies of Relevance," Sub-§ 4 "Genetic Fallacy"

"The genetic fallacy occurs when one argues (or, more commonly, implies) that the origin of something (e.g., a theory, idea, policy, etc.) is a reason for rejecting (or accepting) it."  

The genetic fallacy is committed when one fails to recognize that "[t]he origin of an idea has nothing inherently to do with its truth or plausibility."   

"[I]deas must be assessed on their own merits and the origin of an idea is neither a merit nor demerit of the idea." 

Instead of dismissing something because of its origins, one should instead "explain what, exactly, is wrong with[, for example] the idea rather than simply assuming that there must be something wrong with it since it has a negative origin."

Both Ways

"Although genetic fallacies are most often committed when one associates an idea with a negative origin, it can also go the other way: one can imply that because the idea has a positive origin, the idea must be true or more plausible."   

Example

Is this a fallacy?  Either way, explain why or why not. 

Of course this dessert is healthy, it's from the vegan restaurant! 

Example

Is this a fallacy?  Either way, explain why or why not. 

Heidegger's notion of there-being, or Dasein, is irrevocably tainted by the fact that Heidegger was a Nazi.  Moreover, recently translated notebooks written by Heidegger confirm that he himself thought that there was a link between certain types of technologies and the ills that come from those technologies, and people of certain religious or cultural backgrounds.  As tempting as it is to think that we can become better humans by accepting the natal relationship that is revealed when Heidegger's notion of being-in-the-world discloses itself to us, we should nevertheless be extremely wary of his philosophy, given its origin. 

Example

Is this a fallacy?  Either way, explain why or why not. 

America is the land of liberty, freedom, and independence.  It has produced things like airplanes, iPhones, and vaccines–and Coca Cola.  Other nations should embrace America's next innovation, whatever it is.