LEARNING MODULE IN ENGLISH 9

Quarter 4 - Week 2

LESSON 2: FAULTY LOGIC

MELC: Identifies faulty logic, unsupported facts, and emotion appeal present in a certain statement or article.
Learning Objectives:
After going through this module, the student should be able to:
 Define faulty logic;
 Enumerate the different types of faulty logic; and
 Identify certain statements based on faulty logic, unsupported facts, and emotion appeal; and
 Recognize faulty logic, unsupported facts, and emotion appeal present in a certain statement or article.

Book: English, American, and Philippine Literature and Communication Arts (Unit IV p. 231)
Author: Josefina Payawal-Gabriel, Ph.D.

To start the lesson, take a look at this picture. What is the message of the product? Why did the product use the characters in
their commercial?

The picture tells about spending time with the child as much as the parents can while they are young. This is poster
advertisement that deals with emotion. Many product advertisements try to touch the emotion of their target consumers because
undeniably, to be moved because of our emotion, is a strong force that governs our choices and decisions. To avoid falling into this
situation, you must learn to recognize faulty logic, unsupported facts and ideas that appeal to emotion.

Faulty means having faults or imperfect;

Logic means reason or sound judgment. Therefore,
Faulty logic is an imperfect reason.
We can see faulty logic almost everywhere. It can be seen on commercials, newspaper, shows, and many more. We should
be careful to recognize faulty logic so that we know what is true from not.

TYPES OF FAULTY LOGIC

1. Circular reasoning
- The writer (or speaker or ad) supports a claim with restatements of that same claim. The argument goes around and around
with the reason making the same claim as the original argument. Strategy to detect is by checking if there are statements that the
ending will be almost the same or, at least, very similar to the beginning.
Example:
Nica is a great communicator because she delivers her speech well.
(Great communicator and delivers her speech well are nearly similar meaning.)

2. Overgeneralization
- The writer reaches conclusions from a limited number of facts. The strategy here is look for context clues like all, every,
always, never.
Example:
All flight attendants are tall. Nica is a flight attendant, therefore, she is tall.
(Not all flight attendants are tall).
3. Self-Contradiction
- The writer states a position that contradicts an earlier stated premise. Strategy to detect, look for statement that the
beginning and ending will be opposites—they will contradict each other.
Example:
I am a hardworking student. I will do my homework after watching Netflix.
(Doing the homework after watching Netflix is contradicting the fact that the student is hardworking.)
4. False Causality
 - This occurs when two events happen at the same time, and an assumption is made that one event causes the other.
Strategy, look for a cause and effect relationship; the cause will be FALSE.
Example:
I am singing aloud, and it rains hard.
(There is no connection between the singing and the rain.)
5. Over-Simplification
- This occurs when a single cause is assumed to have created a problem or an issue. In reality, the problem or issue may
have been created by a number of causes. Strategy, look for the cause mentioned in the statement. If many causes have been cut
down to ONE CAUSE, it contained over simplification.
Example:
Typhoon Ondoy brought flood in the metro. The flood was caused by heavy rains.
(Remember that there are many factors and reasons of floods not only the heavy rains.)
6. Assumptions
- This occurs when the writer may be proven false or may be merely stating an opinion. In detecting the assumptions, the
strategy is to ask yourself with these questions:
Does this statement involve a stereotype?
Is this statement just an opinion?
Can this statement be proven false?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then the faulty logic is probably an assumption.
Example:
Planting helps boost immune system.
Aside from faulty logic a statement or a certain article may also contain facts that support the details given by the writer or
speaker. However we can’t avoid to encounter facts which are unsupported. What do we mean by unsupported fact?

Unsupported Facts
- are those claim that don’t have an adequate evidence to prove it. There should be enough evidence to prove your claim. It
can come from different resources and not just from the opinion of others. Therefore, if your claim doesn't have a concrete evidence, it
is considered as unsupported fact.
Examples:
I am beautiful.
Oslob is the most amazing place in Cebu.
As you can see, these examples can be facts, but they lack evidence to prove the claim. Who says she’s beautiful? Who
claims that Oslob is the most amazing place in Cebu?

Another tricky technique where a reader falls most of the time is the use of emotional appeal.
Emotional Appeal
- is a logical fallacy, whereby a debater attempts to win an argument by trying to get an emotional reaction from the opponent
and audience. In an emotional appeal, persuasive language is used to develop the foundation of an appeal to emotion-based
arguments instead of facts. Producing an emotional appeal requires an understanding of your audience and what may strike their
emotions the most.
Examples:
Rabbits are being tested for a newly formed beauty product.
Malnourished children were used on a television commercial about milk supplement.

Recognizing Faulty Logic, Unsupported Fact, or Emotional Appeal.

1. Durian is the best fruit.

This is an example of unsupported fact.
You are just giving your opinion without a concrete evidence to support your claim.

2. Based on your height, you are already 18 years old.

This is faulty logic which is assumption.

3. Alexandra was caught sleeping in class because she was a working student.
This serves as emotional appeal. There is an emotion involved knowing that
Alexandra is a working student that’s why she sleeps during class.

4. The protective barrier in motorcycles will cause multiple accidents.

It is an unsupported fact! There is no study yet about multiple accidents
caused by the newly implemented protective barrier.
 5. A stray dog was hit by a car because the driver had an emergency.
This is an example of emotional appeal. Since the driver had an emergency,
there is a possibility that his reason is valid because of emotion.

Activity 1: Comprehensively read the statements below. Identify whether the given statements are faulty logic, unsupported
facts, or emotional appeal. Write FL if it is faulty logic, UF for unsupported facts, and EA for emotional appeal. Write your answer in the
space provided below.

_____ 1. I parked the car not knowing it was a tow away zone because my baby was crying hard at the backseat.
_____ 2. Mayon Volcano is the most beautiful volcano in the Philippines.
_____ 3. You are beautiful even without make-up because you have fair skin.
_____ 4. Let us support the clean and green program of our city government. By the way I can’t join the cleanup drive on Saturday
because we have our one week vacation in Baguio.
_____ 5. Eighteen years old individual can vote because it is the legal age to vote.
_____ 6. Camille is the class valedictorian. She will surely have a successful life.
_____ 7. I failed in my exam because my aunt passed away and I couldn’t focus on reviewing my lessons.
_____ 8. Coby is hunk, he is handsome and loved by many.
_____ 9. Axel forgot his wallet at home because he needed to go to the hospital immediately for his wife.
_____ 10. The first day of class is awesome, it will be an exciting school year!

Activity 2: Identify the faulty logic, unsupported fact, and emotional appeal in the given paragraph. On the table below, place
the lines on the corresponding column. Follow the example inside the box for you to follow.
Since we are under quarantine nowadays, many of us divert our attention to the things that will take away our boredom. One
of these is by collecting and planting different plants especially cactus. Some are called “plantitos” and “plantitas”. They say planting
helps boost their immune system. All of us will be happy if we buy plants. Many loss their job because of this pandemic. To relieve
stress, some deviate their attention in gardening. Planting gives them pleasure and eases some of their burden. That is why there is a
high demand in plants these days. Some want to be happy that's why they buy plants first than anything else. Let us find ways on how
to be happy even this time of pandemic!

FAULTY LOGIC UNSUPPORTED FACT EMOTIONAL APPEAL

They say planting helps boost their Some want to be happy that’s why they
All of us will be happy if we buy plants
immune system buy plants first than anything else.