Hasty Generalization?

298 Words2 Pages
In Writing Arguments, by John Ramage, John Bean, and June Johnson, a logical fallacy is defined as a mistaken belief resulting from erroneous cognitions (401). The authors have also defined specific fallacies as well. One example is the hasty generalization, which is the same as jumping to a conclusion (408). There is also the slippery slope fallacy, which is defined as a type of domino effect, usually ending in some catastrophic outcome; but there isn’t enough proof to come to that conclusion (409). After analyzing three separate articles, I intend to point out specific fallacies in each of them. In Ann Coulter’s article, "Virginia Tech gun ban made campus safe -- for the killer", she discusses her opinion on the need to have armed students and faculty on campuses. She goes on to say that by having the gun free zones armed, it would help reduce the amount of casualties should another shooting like Virgina Tech happen. This falls under the hasty generalization fallacy. There is absolutely no proof that an armed student or staff member could in fact save life, because there is no documentation to prove this claim. Works Cited Coulter, Ann. "Virginia Tech gun ban made campus safe -- for the killer." Fort Worth Business Press 23 Apr. 2007: 34. Regional Business News. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. Grayson, Paul, and Phil Meilman. "Editorial Introduction: Guns on Campus." Journal of College Student Psychotherapy Oct. 2011: 275+. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. Villahermosa, Jesus M. Jr. "Guns Don't Belong In The Hands Of Administrators, Professors, Or Students." Chronicle Of Higher Education 54.42 (2008): A56. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 17 Jan. 2014. "Lift gun bans, and students will be safer." USA Today n.d.: MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 17 Jan.

More about Hasty Generalization?

Open Document