How to Break Down Political Rhetoric and False Logic

During political debates, religious discussions and arguments with touchy subject matter, it can be hard to find facts when everyone is manipulating the truth. Because of the way we perceive information in debates, it's easy to fall for false logic techniques. Here's a way you can break through the political rhetoric and false logic and form an opinion of your own.

Instructions

1. First, understand that logic isn't absolute. You can use logic as a tool to find out how things work, but not to answer all of life's questions. Human nature is also often illogical, so remember that people can't act like Vulcans all the time, no matter how uptight they may pretend to be. It's just as important for you to know this for your benefit, as to watch for others to prey upon the general public's respect for logical sounding arguments.

2. Study how arguments work on a psychological level. In personal and heated debates, you'll find that the facts presented in an argument mean much less than the deeper levels of aggression and submission. You'll find most logical fallacies thrown around in these kinds of confrontational debates.

3. Know the motives behind all the participants. People fronting for lobbyist groups against a particular policy are more likely to practice "card stacking" with the facts.

4. Learn the different types of logic fallacies. In logic, a fallacy is a technical flaw that makes an argument invalid. The most common fallacies are categorized and studied, and you can use this knowledge to break down most arguments.

5. Learn about the uses of rhetoric in debates and language. Contemporary rhetoric are the techniques of persuasion in text and language that are employed to communicate a point of view

6. In many different areas of debate, people representing particular sides of the political spectrum often rely heavily on certain kinds of rhetoric. These over used techniques are usually used to cover up holes in facts and pull people from the debater's contingency to his or her side.

Tips & Warnings

• The study of logic and rhetoric are both social and analytical sciences. You have to put away your emotions and study the methods of debate rather than the subject of debate in order to have a clear picture of what's really going on.

• It's not particularly easy to call someone out on a logical fallacy in the middle of a heated debate. Your audience probably doesn't understand the in depth science of debate, so calling an opponent a "card stacker" or saying that a "post hoc" fallacy has been used probably won't win favor in your corner. Use this knowledge to understand your opponent and the debate itself, not win a debate.