Straw Man Definition
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The Straw Man logical fallacy is defined as
one character creating a twisted, distorted
version of another character’s argument,
then attacking it as if it was the original
argument.
Straw Man Example
An example of the fallacy straw man is:
A: “Let’s go to the movies.”
B: “No, I’d rather not today.”
A: “You never want to have fun.”
Explanation: A twists B’s disinterest in the movies
into not wanting to have fun, even though that
is not the argument B is trying to make. B does
not say that he doesn’t want to have fun, he just
says that he doesn’t want to go the movies.
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Crucible Example; Act IV, P 129
Hale: You must pardon them. They will not budge.
Danforth: You misunderstand sir; I cannot pardon
these when twelve are already hanged for the
same crime. It is not just.
Explanation of Example
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When requested to pardon the remaining
“witches”, Danforth executes use of the
Straw Man by drawing the conversation
away from the living prisoners and making
the ones already hanged the center of the
argument. Instead of rebutting Hale’s
argument, he twists the debate into
something he can control.
Additional examples: VIDEOS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVUj
VPHZEY (:40)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQyp6
L6RdxM (2:18)
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