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Hitler Built Autobahns: Difference between revisions
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Hitler Built Autobahns arguments are a subset of the [[Correlation Implies Causation]] fallacy. It is exemplified by the following formulation: | |||
Hitler built Autobahns (freeways). | Hitler built Autobahns (freeways). | ||
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Therefore, building autobahns is evil. | Therefore, building autobahns is evil. | ||
Whilst pyschological and behavioural scumtells exist, a huge amount of things that players say and do as scum are not directly related to their alignment. Unless an accusor is able to demonstrate that a player has a '''significant''' tendency to do something more frequently as scum than town, or that there is a particular incentive for scum to act in that manner, then the argument is logically dubious. | Although Hitler was undeniably evil, his building autobahns was neither caused by, nor the cause of, his evil. Hence, it is unreasonable to assume that building autobahns is evil, and, in fact, it is a policy which has been espoused by many different political groupings. | ||
Whilst pyschological and behavioural scumtells exist, a huge amount of things that players say and do as scum are not directly related to their alignment. An HBA argument in mafia would be along the lines of: | |||
'You did X as scum in the last game I played with you, and you have done it here. Therefore, you are scum.' | |||
Unless an accusor is able to demonstrate that a player has a '''significant''' tendency to do something more frequently as scum than town, or that there is a particular incentive for scum to act in that manner, then the argument is logically dubious. | |||
A related example would be the common misconception that people who do not give reasons for their votes must not ''have'' reasons for their votes. Whilst someone who does not have a reason for their vote cannot give one, many players who have reasons choose not to give them. Not everyone who supports freeway construction is evil. | |||
[[Category:Logical Fallacies]] | |||
Latest revision as of 02:44, 3 December 2009
Hitler Built Autobahns arguments are a subset of the Correlation Implies Causation fallacy. It is exemplified by the following formulation:
Hitler built Autobahns (freeways). Hitler was evil. Therefore, building autobahns is evil.
Although Hitler was undeniably evil, his building autobahns was neither caused by, nor the cause of, his evil. Hence, it is unreasonable to assume that building autobahns is evil, and, in fact, it is a policy which has been espoused by many different political groupings.
Whilst pyschological and behavioural scumtells exist, a huge amount of things that players say and do as scum are not directly related to their alignment. An HBA argument in mafia would be along the lines of:
'You did X as scum in the last game I played with you, and you have done it here. Therefore, you are scum.'
Unless an accusor is able to demonstrate that a player has a significant tendency to do something more frequently as scum than town, or that there is a particular incentive for scum to act in that manner, then the argument is logically dubious.
A related example would be the common misconception that people who do not give reasons for their votes must not have reasons for their votes. Whilst someone who does not have a reason for their vote cannot give one, many players who have reasons choose not to give them. Not everyone who supports freeway construction is evil.