![]() ![]() ![]() In reality, the opponent in the first statement might be focused on his project’s development and prioritizing it over ecological concerns, but that doesn’t mean he hates animals. See how all of these statements contain simple statements that lack nuance? That’s a key characteristic of a straw man argument. Their only priority is to make more money for their shareholders.Our new principal wants to ban everything that’s fun.My opponent hates animals and doesn’t care how many will be displaced by his project.The easiest way to identify a straw man argument is to determine whether an argument sounds too simple or extreme to be true. Keep both of these points in mind when you find yourself having to counter a straw man argument. Other times, it’s due to a genuine misunderstanding of an opponent’s position. Sometimes, it’s to turn the opponent into a boogeyman that’s easy to rally supporters against. People use straw man arguments for a variety of reasons. You might have even used them yourself, even without realizing it. ![]() You’ve probably seen and heard straw man arguments in webcomics, on podcasts, on talk radio, in blog posts, and on television. When and why is the straw man fallacy used? And when readers are familiar with the topic, it can make the writer look foolish and cause readers to take their position less seriously. When readers aren’t familiar with the topic, this can give them the wrong idea and prevent them from developing well-reasoned opinions on it. By doing this, though, the writer is giving readers a biased look at the issue they’re discussing. In a piece of writing, a straw man argument makes it easy for the writer to make their position look rational and appealing. In a live debate, one might be used in an attempt to back the opposing debater into a corner and force them to defend an extreme or unpopular take on their position. Straw man arguments are used in a few different ways. Presenting a fringe or extreme version of an opposing argument as the mainstream version of it: For example, one might create a straw man by claiming that all vegans are opposed to all forms of animal captivity, including pet ownership.Taking it out of context : For example, an individual campaigning for better pedestrian safety measures might say, “cars are dangerous,” and their opponent could turn this into a straw man by claiming the campaigner thinks cars should be banned.Focusing on just one part of the opposing argument: By doing this, the arguer ignores the various factors at play and, similar to oversimplifying the opposing argument, presents a tiny sliver of it as if that sliver were the whole thing.Oversimplifying it : An arguer might regurgitate a complex or layered issue as a simple, black-and-white one.There are a few different ways an individual might turn a reasonable argument into a straw man: How does a straw man argument work?Ī straw man argument is constructed by presenting an opposing position as a warped, extreme version of itself. Generally, scholars agree that the term originated with the idea of setting up a simplistic imagined opponent that’s easy to knock down, like a scarecrow or a military training dummy. Later recognition of the straw man fallacy as a distinct logical fallacy dates to the twentieth century. He described this criticism as “they assert the very things they assail, or they set up a man of straw whom they may attack.” In his 1520 book On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, he claimed that one of the church’s criticisms of him was that he argued against serving the Eucharist according to one serving practice despite his never actually making that argument. One of the earliest references to the straw man argument dates to Martin Luther. Other common logical fallacies include the following: By doing this, the straw man fallacy is a fallacy of relevance, because with it the arguer doesn’t engage with the relevant components of their opposer’s position. The straw man fallacy avoids the opponent’s actual argument and instead argues against an inaccurate caricature of it. The straw man fallacy is an informal fallacy, which means that the flaw lies with the arguer’s method of arguing rather than the flaws of the argument itself. In creating a straw man argument, the arguer strips the opposing point of view of any nuance and often misrepresents it in a negative light. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is a straw man argument?Ī straw man argument, sometimes called a straw person argument or spelled strawman argument, is the logical fallacy of distorting an opposing position into an extreme version of itself and then arguing against that extreme version.
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