paralogism

American  

[puh-ral-uh-jiz-uhm] / pəˈræl əˌdʒɪz əm /

noun

Logic.

1. argument violating principles of valid reasoning.

2. a conclusion reached through such argument.

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paralogism British  

/ pəˈræləˌdʒɪzəm /

noun

1. logic psychol an argument that is unintentionally invalid Compare sophism

2. any invalid argument or conclusion

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Other Word Forms

• paralogist noun
• paralogistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of paralogism

1555–65; < Late Latin paralogismus < Greek paralogismós. See para- ¹, logo-, -ism

Explanation

A paralogism is an unintentionally misleading argument. Even if your friend has convinced himself it's true, you'll still be frustrated by his paralogism, "I never wash my hands because germs are actually good for you!" The Greek root of paralogism is paralogismos, "reason falsely," and it's where people end up when they base a belief or statement on false reasoning. It's mainly used in rhetoric and philosophy for a fallacy the speaker believes is true, rather than one deliberately meant to deceive someone. It's a paralogism to conclude that because your plane flight went smoothly when you wore your lucky socks, you won't be safe on airplanes without them.

Example Sentences

The logical paralogism consists in the falsity of an argument in respect of its form, be the content what it may.

From The Critique of Pure Reason by Meiklejohn, John Miller Dow

But even that pleasing paralogism did not suffice for the appetite of tariffism in the way of fallacy.

From Essays in Liberalism Being the Lectures and Papers Which Were Delivered at the Liberal Summer School at Oxford, 1922 by Various

To which Bowie, being a brother Scot, answered Scotticè, by a crafty paralogism.

From Two Years Ago, Volume I by Kingsley, Charles

Malebranche eluded the question, and could not assign the paralogism, after which Mairan so earnestly sought: ‘It is not that the paralogism is in such or such places of the Ethique, it is everywhere.’

From A Theodicy, or, Vindication of the Divine Glory by Bledsoe, Albert Taylor

On this dualistic basis, the ontological argument becomes a manifest paralogism, and lies open to all the objections that Kant brought against it.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various