We’re always pleased when our readers write to us with questions or comments that really make us think. Here, for example, is reader K.S., who writes: Perhaps it was intended facetiously, if so I ...

What is the Ad Hominem Fallacy? The ad hominem fallacy occurs when someone attacks the person making an argument rather than the argument itself. This fallacy diverts attention from the actual issue ...

To persuade you, people often try to use logical fallacies (Credit: Javier Hirschfeld) When people are trying to persuade you, they sometimes reach for underhand tricks like the 'appeal to ignorance' ...

Logical people are typically less biased. It makes sense semantically, but I’m also referring to the research. Studies show that participants who score higher on measures of logical reasoning or who ...

To say that it does is a logical fallacy. However, correlation absolutely can be evidence for causation, the quality of which depends upon, for example, whether the correlation is actually feasible, ...

When we refer to fallacies, we are describing things that are mistakes, and if they are logical fallacies, they are mistakes in reasoning. It is impossible to read the news today or (worse) watch the ...

I am regularly astonished by the sheer number and blatancy of the bogus claims and logical fallacies that Edward B. Harmon strings together in his columns. For anyone who’s interested in the ...

This post is Part 7 of my continuing series, How to Talk to Relatives about Family Dysfunction. In Part 1, I discussed why family members hate to discuss their chronic interpersonal difficulties with ...

To the Times: Your editorial of Aug. 17 asks “Mosque can be built – but should it be?” The better question might be, “Editorialists are free to set up logical fallacies – but should they?” You state: ...

There is no statutory requirement that formal logic be adhered to during examination of patent claims. Examiners and patent practitioners are free to use a wide variety of discussion and argument ...