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If I didn't hear/see it, it didn't happen - logical fallacy?
Is there a formal name for the logical fallacy argument that, if something hasn't been reported on, seen, or heard, it doesn't exist?
7 Answers
- Anonymous8 years agoFavorite Answer
I would just call this a non-sequitur as your conclusion doesn't follow from your reasoning.
A lot of specific non-sequiturs have specific names which I think is what you are after.
I think this is denying the antecedent which runs as follows:
1. If P, then Q.
2. Not P.
3. Therefore, not Q.
For this example
1. If I have seen the flying spaghetti monster then the flying spaghetti monster exists
2. I haven't seen the flying spaghetti monster
3. Therefore the flying spaghetti monster does not exist
This is a formal logical fallacy BUT does not mean the conclusion is wrong and in many cases the conclusion will be the most reasonable even though it has not been logically proven
- Khnopff71Lv 78 years ago
Someone already referenced the logical fallacy Denying the Antecedent, which can apply here, but they did so in a way that made it seem more complicated than it is.
Denying the Antecedent is basically drawing a false conclusion from previously (or possibly) true statements. In this case, a third statement linking the idea and conclusion must be added for it provides a turning point by which the conclusion can be understood.
A) I didn't see the Statue of Liberty being built.
B) The Statue of Liberty wasn't built.
C) The Statue of Liberty doesn't exist.
Its truer to say that this logical fallacy is closer to the Imperfect God fallacy than Denying the Antecedent. In other words, the opening statement is true, however, the turning point (the middle statement) is only true if the person has perfect knowledge that it is true. Because of their inability to recognize their limitations, they create a statement that isn't true, which leads to a false conclusion. It should be obvious that many things are true even if we cannot be aware of them. Therefore, our lack of awareness does not, ipso facto, designate something as being true or not.
- Anonymous8 years ago
http://www.theskepticsguide.org/resources/logicalf...
----Logical Fallacy
It more like you are asking this question and I am answering here,
You didn't see that I am typing words here, you can't hear the sound that the keyboard is being hitting. but it did happened ,... If I typed any thing wrong , and I erased the words, I did type the wrong words but it never show.
It's truth , for human sensibility maybe logical fallacy.
- Anonymous8 years ago
thats not a "logical" fallacy.... its just wrong. There's no logic involved in being wrong like this, its just plain good old-fashioned "wrong"
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- StuLv 78 years ago
No less silly than the toddler that hides his eyes in a mother's apron, and thinks just because he can no longer see the stranger, they are GONE. Peace.
- Anonymous8 years ago
Stupid one: just because I have an AM band radio, it does not mean FM does not exist.
- 8 years ago
no ! i stole on a supermarket noone saw me no one heard me but the ring is still in my pocket . others might think that it doesnt exist but i know it does and its in my pocket