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One problem with this kind of reasoning is that the broad Sunk Cost Fallacy - Sometimes we invest ourselves so
acceptance of some claim or action is not always a good thoroughly in a program or project that we’re reluctant to
indication that the acceptance is justi ed. People can be ever abandon it, even when it turns out to be fruitless and
mistaken, confused, deceived, or even willfully irrational. futile. It’s natural and usually not a fallacy to want to carry
And when people act together, sometimes they become on with something we nd important, because of all the
even more foolish ‘Mob mentality' can then rule and we resources we’ve put into it. However, this kind of thinking
are witnessing how destructive this can be with the new becomes a fallacy when we start to think that we should
phenomena of people with di erent views being ‘cancelled’, continue with a task or project because of all that we’ve put
bullied or ‘doxed’ (doxing is where private information into it, without considering the future costs we’re likely to
about an individual is published with malicious intent). incur by doing so. ere may be a sense of accomplishment
People can be quite gullible, and this fact doesn’t suddenly when nishing, and the project might have other values,
change when applied to large groups. but it’s not enough to justify the cost invested in it. We
are susceptible to this errant behavior when we crave that
Appeal to ignorance – argumentum and ignorantiam sense of completion or a sense of accomplishment, we see
– this is when ignorance is used as the major premise in this type of fallacy within Masonry frequently.
a supporting argument. Any time ignorance is used as
a major premise in support of an argument, it’s liable to “Sunk cost” is an economic term for any past expenses
be a fallacious appeal to ignorance. Naturally, we are all that can no longer be recovered. Psychologically, we are
ignorant of many things, but it is cheap and manipulative susceptible to this errant behavior when we crave that sense
to allow this unfortunate aspect of the human condition to of completion or a sense of accomplishment, or we are too
do most of our heavy li ing in an argument. comfortable or too familiar with this unwieldy program or
project. Sometimes, we become too emotionally committed
Appealing to ignorance isn’t proof of anything, except to an “investment,” burning money, wasting time, and
that you don’t know something! It even “works’ for mismanaging resources to do it.
contradictory claims, for example:
•“No one has ever been able to prove de nitively that “I know this relationship isn’t working anymore and that
extra-terrestrials exist, so they must not be real.” we’re both miserable. No marriage. No kids. No steady
•“No one has ever been able to prove de nitively that job. But I’ve been with him for seven years, so I’d better
extra-terrestrials do not exist, so they must be real.” stay with him.”
Using an argument strategy to support mutually
exclusive claims just shows that you don’t have a decent
argument.

Red Herring Fallacy - (ignoration elenchi). A Red Herring
Fallacy attempts to redirect the argument to another Reference Sources:
issue to which the person doing the redirecting can
better respond. e red herring is a deliberate diversion 1. e Square Magazine, August 2020 Issue.
of attention with the intention of trying to abandon the
original argument. A “red herring fallacy” is a distraction 2. 15 Logical Fallacies You Should Know Before Getting
from the argument typically with some sentiment that into a Debate, TBS Sta , June 9, 2020.
seems to be relevant but isn’t really on-topic. is tactic is
common when someone doesn’t like the current topic and 3. Montana Masonic Manual, Section Four, Coach’s
wants to detour into something else instead, something Handbook.
easier or safer to address. A red herring fallacy is typically
related to the issue in question but isn’t quite relevant
enough to be helpful. Instead of clarifying and focusing, it
confuses and distracts.

e phrase “red herring” refers to a kippered herring
(salted herring- sh) which was reddish brown in color
and quite pungent. According to legend, this aroma was
so strong and delectable to dogs that it served as a good
training device for testing how well a hunting dog could
track a scent without getting distracted. Dogs aren’t
generally used for hunting sh, so a red herring is a
distraction from what he is supposed to be hunting.

Montana Freemason Page 9 Sept/Oct 2020 Volume 96 No. 5