False Dilemma Fallacies

What is a False Dilemma Fallacy?

Have you ever heard someone say you can only pick between A or B and nothing else? That’s a false dilemma fallacy. It’s like telling someone they can only choose chocolate or vanilla ice cream when there are flavors like strawberry, mint, and more. This fallacy happens when it’s wrongly claimed that there are just two possibilities when, in reality, there are several.

Another way to look at this is to think of it as someone saying you can only either be happy or sad, without realizing that you can be excited, bored, or even a mix of feelings. It’s wrong because it forgets about all the other emotions people can feel. We call it false because it’s not true, and a dilemma because it presents a tough choice. But there shouldn’t be a tough choice when there are other options on the table that are being ignored.

This type of error in reasoning has other names such as “black-or-white” or “all-or-nothing.” It assumes there are only strict opposites and no middle ground. But just because some choices are common or easy to think of, it doesn’t mean they’re the only ones available. It’s not a false dilemma when there genuinely are only two possible choices. For instance, water can only be in a liquid or solid state at freezing temperature, so that’s not a false dilemma, it’s a fact.

Examples

Kayla and Derek don’t have any kids, even though Kayla is already 45. It would be wrong to think they must not like children, because that’s a false dilemma. They might be unable to have kids, they might be planning to adopt, or maybe they’re just undecided. To say they don’t like children is unfair because it skips over other reasons and choices they might have.

How TV and movies present women often falls into this trap too. Saying women are either “good girls” or “bad girls” doesn’t show all the complex ways women can be. People are unique, and no one fits perfectly into just one or another category. Thinking this way simplifies the complexity of human character, which is diverse and multifaceted, thus creating a false dilemma.

Remember in “The Princess Bride” when Westley offers Vizzini a choice between two cups and claims one has poison? Vizzini wrongly believes he must pick the non-poison cup to survive. But all along, both cups were poisoned, and Westley could survive drinking either one. Vizzini faced a false dilemma because he didn’t think about other possibilities, like both cups being dangerous.

Logical Form of False Dilemma Fallacy

• Either choice X or choice Y is true, but not both.
• X is true.
• Therefore, Y must be false.

This form of reasoning isn’t right because it doesn’t even consider any other possibilities besides X and Y. It’s like saying you can either go to bed early or be tired the next day, not considering that some people might not get tired even if they go to bed late.

Origin of False Dilemma Fallacy

The history of the ‘false dilemma fallacy’ term is a bit fuzzy, but thinkers like John Searle and Jacques Derrida have been exploring errors in reasoning for a long time. They and others like them try to figure out how we can communicate and think better by avoiding mistakes like this one.

How to Avoid False Dilemma Fallacy

To steer clear of the false dilemma trap, always be on the lookout for more than just two options. Don’t let sneaky language trick you into thinking there’s only “this way or that way.” For instance, someone could say that you’re either with them or against them, but maybe you mostly agree with them but have a few doubts or questions. You don’t have to be 100% one way or the other.

If you’re cornered with only two choices, like “take it or leave it,” always ask yourself if there might be another way. Maybe you need more time to think, or you want to discuss it with someone else before deciding. There’s almost always more than what you’re being shown.

Related Topics

False dilemma fallacies can lead to, or be part of, other kinds of thinking mistakes. Some of these include:

• Begging the Question – This happens when someone’s conclusion is actually something that needs to be proven first. They assume it’s true without giving real reasons.
• Slippery Slope – This is when someone suggests that one small thing will definitely cause a big chain reaction of events, often bad ones without any solid proof that this will happen.
• Straw Man – Here, instead of dealing with the real argument, someone makes a weaker version of it to attack because it’s easier to knock down.

By getting to know these other errors, we can get better at recognizing shaky arguments and sharpen our critical thinking skills.

Conclusion

A false dilemma fallacy restricts our choices to just two when there are usually many different options to consider. This kind of thinking overlooks all the possible paths and can lead us to incorrect conclusions. If we remember that life isn’t always “yes or no,” and we ask whether we’re seeing the full range of options, we can avoid being trapped by this error. With an open mind and the awareness that there’s usually more than one way to look at things, we can navigate the world’s complexities better and make smarter decisions.