Existential_fallacy Existential_fallacy

Existential fallacy - Definition and Overview
Related Words: Eleatic, Epicurean, Stoic, Animist, Animistic, Eclectic, Empirical, Hedonist, Hedonistic, Humanist, Humanistic, Idealistic, Instrumentalist, Materialistic, Metaphysical, Monistic, Nominalist, Pantheistic, Positivist

The existential fallacy is a logical fallacy committed in a categorical syllogism that is invalid because it has two universal premises and a particular conclusion. In other words, for the conclusion to be true a member of the class must exist, but the premises do not establish this.

Example:

  • All inhabitants of another planet are friendly people, and all Martians are inhabitants of another planet. Therefore, some Martians are friendly people. (The conclusion assumes there really are some Martians in existence.)

The existential fallacy is a syllogistic fallacy.

External links

This article was originally based on material from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, which is licensed under the GFDL.

Example Usage of Existential
TattooHooligan: I started it and defined it @GStyles718 “#whywont is: http://is.gd/51nMD - Existential question with little to no answer”
TattooHooligan: I started it and defined it @morejazzier “#whywont is: http://is.gd/51nMD - Existential question with little to no answer”
groovecoder: Ran 1.75 miles and felt good. still shaking the funk/Existential-crisis. getting better.
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