Subtle, persuasive, and almost always illogical, Affirming the Consequent is a flawed “if-then” argument which argues that an “if” statement is true because a “then” statement is true. Like “If your car is out of gas, it won’t start. It won’t start; therefore, it’s out of gas.” Using real evolutionary examples, let’s see when Affirming the Consequent is (and isn’t) a fallacy.
Denying the Antecedent is a type of flawed “if-then” argument which claims that a “then” statement is false because an “if” statement is also false. Like “If you have a dog, you are a pet owner. You do not have a dog. Therefore, you are not a pet owner.” Using real examples from the origins contr...
Is it a fallacy to say that evolutionary beliefs can lead to serious social consequences? Slippery slope arguments, which propose that an action or attitude will lead to some negative outcome, are considered fallacies if the dreaded outcome isn’t really likely given the premises. Here are some t...
A classic argument for evolution says that different creatures have similar embryos and therefore share an evolutionary ancestor. 19th-century biologist, Ernst Haeckel, famously forged drawings making embryos appear more alike than they are and believed embryos re-enact evolution. While most scie...
