What is Illogical in Philosophy?

Philosophy is a discipline that seeks to understand the world and human existence through reason and critical thinking. It is based on logical and coherent arguments to reach conclusions and understand reality. However, philosophical ideas are not always logical and coherent. There are concepts and arguments that are considered illogical in philosophy, as they do not follow the rules of formal logic and can lead to contradictions or absurd conclusions.

Logical Contradictions

One of the aspects that make an argument illogical in philosophy is the presence of logical contradictions. A contradiction occurs when two statements are mutually exclusive and cannot be true at the same time. For example, if someone asserts that “all human beings are mortal” and, at the same time, asserts that “some human beings are immortal,” there is a logical contradiction. This contradiction makes the argument illogical and invalid.

Logical Fallacies

Another aspect that characterizes illogicality in philosophy is logical fallacies. Fallacies are errors in reasoning that may seem convincing but are not valid. There are different types of fallacies, such as the strawman fallacy, which consists of distorting the opponent's argument to make it weaker and easier to refute. Another common fallacy is the ad hominem fallacy, which involves attacking the person making the argument rather than refuting the argument itself.

paradoxes

Paradoxes are also considered illogical in philosophy. A paradox is a statement that appears to be true but leads to a logical contradiction. For example, the liar paradox states that “this statement is false.” If the statement is true, then it is false, but if it is false, then it is true. This type of contradiction makes the argument paradoxical and illogical.

Circular Arguments

Circular arguments are also considered illogical in philosophy. A circular argument occurs when the conclusion is used as one of the premises of the argument. For example, if someone argues that “God exists because the Bible says God exists,” they are using the conclusion (God exists) as one of the premises of the argument. This type of argument is not valid, as it does not offer an external justification for the conclusion.

Paralogisms

Paralogisms are errors in reasoning that occur when an invalid conclusion is reached based on correct premises. For example, if someone argues that “all human beings are mortal, John is a human being, therefore John is mortal”, he is committing a paralogism. Although the premises are true, the conclusion does not logically follow from them.

Invalid Inductive Arguments

Inductive arguments are those in which the conclusion is based on specific evidence or examples. However, not all inductive arguments are valid. An invalid inductive argument occurs when the conclusion goes beyond the evidence presented. For example, if someone argues that “all swans observed so far are white, therefore all swans are white”, they are making an invalid inductive argument, as they do not consider the possibility that there are swans of other colors.

Invalid Deductive Arguments

Deductive arguments are those in which the conclusion follows logically from the premises. However, not all deductive arguments are valid. An invalid deductive argument occurs when the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises. For example, if someone argues that “all human beings are mortal, John is mortal, therefore John is a human being”, he is committing an invalid deductive argument, as the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises.

Arguments Based on Personal Beliefs

Arguments based on personal beliefs are also considered illogical in philosophy. An argument based on personal beliefs occurs when someone presents a statement as true just because they believe it, without offering evidence or rational justification. For example, if someone argues that “God exists because I believe in God,” they are basing their argument on a personal belief without offering an external justification.

Conclusion

In short, illogicality in philosophy occurs when arguments do not follow the rules of formal logic and can lead to contradictions, fallacies, paradoxes, circular arguments, paralogisms, invalid inductive arguments, invalid deductive arguments, and arguments based on personal beliefs. It is important to recognize these illogical aspects to avoid mistaken conclusions and promote more rigorous and coherent critical thinking.