Fallacies of Language
Trickery
READ 142
Spring 2010
Today’s Agenda
1. Go over midterm.
2. Discuss “Guns in Montana.”
3. Fallacies of Language Trickery
4. Group Planning Time: More databases
Let’s count off from 1-6.
Deceptive Language
 So far, we have talked about several logical fallacies.
 Today, we are going to talk about how fallacious
arguments can be based on an inept use of words or a
purposeful selection of words that are vague, ambiguous,
and prejudicial.
Denotation vs.
Connotation
 A writer’s word choice, or diction, are carefully chosen
to create an effect.
 DENOTATION - dictionary definition of a word
 CONNOTATION - emotional association a word
conjures up
Denotation vs.
Connotation
 Dictionary definitions show us the agreements that
society has made about a word’s meaning.
 The connotations of a word are its associative meanings,
which can be positive, negative, or neutral.
 These associations can take the form of feelings, ideas,
images, or thoughts.
Example: How do these
words differ?
 cheap
 fibbing
 thrifty
 lying
 stingy
 providing disinformation
 frugal
 misspeaking
 falsifying
Let’s practice. What’s the difference?
 chubby vs. plump
 assertive vs. aggressive
 childish vs. childlike
 lurk vs. hide
 faux vs. fake
In your groups, provide the denotative
meaning and connotative meaning of
the following words:
1. Republican
2. Democrat
3. Homeland Security
4. 9/11
5. U.S.A.
6. Health insurance
7. California
Question
 A week after the September 11, 2001, attacks, President
Bush wanted Americans that this “crusade, this war on
terrorism, is going to take a while.”
 Why did Bush receive criticism for using the word
“crusade”?
 What does the word connote to Muslims?
 What does it connote to Westerners?
Is there bias in these
captions?
Looters carry bags of groceries through
floodwaters after taking the merchandise
away from a wind damaged convenience
store in New Orleans on Monday, Aug.
29, 2005.'
Two residents wade through chest-deep
water after finding bread and soda from
a local grocery store in New Orleans . .
.'
Questions about Captions
 What do the words “looters” and “residents” connote?
 How are the two words similar in their denotative
meanings?
 Do you think there is more behind the captions?
3 Types of Fallacies
1. Word ambiguity
2. Misleading euphemism
3. Prejudicial language
Word Ambiguity
 a key word with several meanings is left undefined.
 As a result, the reader must assumed what meaning was
intended.
 tries to gain an unfair advantage by using words the
might confuse others and lead them to agree with a
claim they don’t fully understand.
Examples
And where are all the jobs that welfare mothers are
supposed to get? Even a burger joint wants you to work
evenings and weekends, times when there is virtually no
childcare.
“Virtually no”:
 Few childcare options?
 Few babysitters want to work then?
Better Argument
And where are all the jobs that welfare mothers are
supposed to get? Even a burger joint wants you to work
evenings and weekends, times when there is virtually no
childcare.
 Elaborate on limited job choices
 High costs of childcare for a single mother
In your groups, identify
the ambiguous words.
1. All ingredients in this ice cream are natural and nutritious.
2. These pies are made from locally grown cherries and have that
old-fashioned country taste.
3. The federal government has too much power.
4. Religion enslaves people.
5. You should be willing to do anything for love.
6. You can save as much as 1 quart of oil a day.
2. Misleading Euphemism
Euphemism
 An inoffensive or positive word or phrase used to avoid a
harsh reality
 A tactful word or phrase, an expression used out of
concern for the feelings of someone else
 Words used to avoid directly discussing a topic subject to
a social or cultural taboo
George Carlin on
Euphemisms
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KITIt2O3Z8Q
Examples
 “I’m sorry your father passed away” instead of “I’m
sorry your father is dead.”
 Jane is “involved with” or “sleeping with” her manager.
 “I have to go to the restroom.”
Euphemism becomes
misleading . . .
 When it is used to mislead or deceive
 1984, U.S. State Dept. changed “killing” to “unlawful or
arbitrary deprivation of life” to avoid discussing the
situation of government-sanctioned killings in U.S.supported countries
Military Euphemisms
 Ziploc or body bags
 Plastic container for corpses
 Friendly fire
 Shooting our own soldiers by mistake
 Black ops
 Officially unsanctioned activities such as kidnapping or
assassinating enemy leaders
In your groups…
 Come up with a misleading euphemism.
3. Prejudicial Language
 Word choice that is biased or distorted
 Also known as “slanted” words
Examples
Cultic America: A Tower of Babel. They tend to be small, scattered
and strange.
1. What are the connotations of the italicized words?
2. What slant do the lend this information?
3. What associations do you have with the words “cultic” and
“Tower of Babel”?
New Religion in America: None speak the same language. They
tend to be small, scattered, and unfamiliar to most of us.
Examples
 Crying for the Thugs
1. What are the connotations of the underlined word,
2. What slant do the lend this information?
3. What associations do you have you have with the word
“thug”?
Haitian Leader Weeps During Funeral for His Police
Pick out the words that
could create a bias.
Cultic America: A Tower of Babel
If the cult watchers are to be believed, there are thousands
of groups out there poised to snatch your body, control
you mind, corrupt you soul. Witches’ covens, satanic
rituals, Krishna consciousness, fanatic fundamentalists,
black and white supremacists, New Age cosmic
crazies—few are armed but most are considered
dangerous. They’ll seduce you and fleece you, marry
and bury you. (Newsweek, March 12, 1993)
Activism Drowns Out
Academia
 Camping illegally in front of the chancellor’s
building, with six star students engaging in a hunger
strike, UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies students came
across as such know-it-alls, it’s surprising they think
they need an education. If you thought ethnic
studies was not a scholarly field, but a platform for
angry kids with an ax to grind, you wouldn’t walk
away disappointed.
 Debra J. Saunders, San Francisco Chronicle, 5/7/99
Task
 You are your partner are will receive the front page of
from two different newspapers. There is one story that is
the same.
 Without showing each other, jot down how the word
choices and the content differ.
Headline Comparison
Newspaper 1
Word choice
Content
Newspaper 2
Do you find any examples of the
following?
Word ambiguity
Misleading euphemisms
Prejudicial or slanted language
Final Thoughts
 These passages persuade mainly through evaluative word
choices.
 As a critical reader, your task is to separate word choice
from word meaning and thus detach from the emotional
power of word connotations.