| Fallacies of inconsistency are cases where something inconsistent, self- |
| contradictory or self-defeating is presented. |
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| ## §1. Inconsistency |
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| Here are some examples: |
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| * "One thing that we know for certain is that nothing is ever true or false." - If there is something we know for certain, then there is at least one truth that we know. So it can't be the case that nothing is true or false. |
| * "Morality is relative and it is just a matter of opinion, and so it is always wrong to impose our opinions on other people." - But if morality is relative, it is also a relative matter whether we should impose our opinions on other people. If we should not do that, there is at least one thing that is objectively wrong. |
| * "All general claims have exceptions." - This claim itself is a general claim, and so if it is true, it must also have an exception itself. This implies that not all general claims have exceptions. So the claim itself is inconsistent. |
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| ## §2. Self-defeating claims |
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| A self-defeating statement is a statement that strictly speaking is not |
| logically inconsistent, but is near enough in that it is obviously false when |
| being asserted. Consider these examples: |
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| * Very young children are fond of saying "I am not here" when they are playing hide-and-seek. The statement itself is not logically inconsistent, since it is logically possible for the child not to be where she is. What is impossible is to _utter the sentence as a true sentence_ (unless it is used for example in a telephone recorded message.) |
| * Someone who says, "I cannot speak any English." |
| * Here is an actual example. A TV programme in Hong Kong was critical of the Government. When the Hong Kong Chief Executive Mr. Tung was asked about it, he replied , "I shall not comment on such distasteful programs." Mr. Tung's remark was not logically inconsistent, because what it describes is a possible state of affairs. But it is nonetheless self-defeating because calling the program "distasteful" is to pass a comment! |
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