TRUMP'S BLUSTER

 

The most difficult class in my college experience was Logic.   It was taught by a professor with demanding expectations.  

This morning as I looked over some Logic notes I was gobsmacked by recognizing similarities to  Donald Trump’s diatribes and logical argument fallacies.    

An argument can either be true or false.   The false argument premises are named in Logic.  

Argument ad Populum:   Everyone says it must be true; or true because many people believe it.

Argument ad Baculum:  A threat of force or coercion;  a negative consequence of holding a contrary opinion.

Argument ad Verecundiam:  The opinion of an authority is used as evidence.

Argument ad Absurdum:  Attempting to approve a premise by carrying it to an absurd conclusion.

Argument ad Ignorantian: A premise that is true because it has not been proven false: is false because it has not been proven true.

Argument Misericordia: Appeal to pity of self or others.

Argument ad Hominem:  Attack the character, motive, or some attribute of the opponent.

Argument ad Nauseam:  If it is repeated often enough it must be true.

Note that whenever Trump opens his mouth one or more of these fallacious arguments will stream out. 

the Ol’Buzzard