Psuedo Arguments
...ment called a "pseudo-argument". According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, "pseudo" when used as a prefix means "false" or "deceptive". Can an argument be false? perhaps deceiving? One may question, "Aren't arguments supposed to be solid and concrete?" Pseudo-arguments are weak and generally arrive at a dead end, not providing adequate proof or reasoning to justify their claims. Ramage describes a pseudo-argument as the "degenerative form" of an argument. These arguments are to be used when dealing with a "fanatical believer" or a "fanatical skeptic". Fanatical believers are close minded. They believe in their claim and do not accept other views, opinions, or solutions. On the other hand, a fanatical skeptic feels that nothing can be proved. Ramage quotes a fanatical skeptic questioning whether "the sun will rise tommoorow". In order to be effective, arguments must have a strong "claim"(major), supported by a number of "reasons"(minors). A pseudo-argument lacks these essential elements of the genuine argument. For instance, a fanatical believer may claim that he can "levitate people", but does not present strong evidence, as levitation is merely an illusion. Even when one proves to the fanatical believer that levitation is not scientifically possible, he refuses this argument due to ...