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The logical fallacy dicto simpliciter , or more fully, dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid , consists in applying general conclusions or rules to particular cases in which the conditions or context do not allow them to apply. In other words, we commit this fallacy, also known as an accident in logic, when we improperly apply a generalization to particular cases.
From an etymological point of view, dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid is itself an expression in Latin that literally translates to “from what is said without further ado to what is said specifying an aspect”. “What is said without further ado” refers to what is said in a general way, while “what is said specifying an aspect” refers to the application of the first thing that was said in a general way to the particular case.
These fallacies are called accidents or accidental fallacies because they imply ignorance (intentional or not) of accidental circumstances that would make the application of the general principle impossible.
An example of this type of fallacy can be given when we affirm that violence in general is bad. However, it is not possible to apply this argument to all cases of violence, as there may be circumstances in which violence is justified, such as when it involves saving a life (one’s own or another’s).
What is a fallacy?
To better understand the concept of dicto simpliciter fallacy , it is convenient to begin by understanding what a logical fallacy is and also how they are classified. In the field of logic, we understand a fallacy to be any argument that, while appearing to be valid, is actually not. On the other hand, we can also see fallacies as attempts to defend what cannot logically be correct.
types of fallacies
Broadly speaking, we can find two kinds of fallacies: formal and non-formal or informal fallacies. The formal ones are the easiest to identify, since they consist of errors in the structure or form of the argument.
An example of this type of error is the negation of the antecedent, in which we assume that a conditional relation in one direction also works in the opposite direction. This occurs, for example, when we assume that because A implies B, then B must imply A.
On the other hand, informal fallacies occur in natural language, so they also tend to have structure problems, but, in addition to this, they contain content and/or context errors. The dicto simpliciter fallacies are an example of informal fallacies.
Why do we commit fallacies dicto simpliciter ?
Like all fallacies, logical accidents or fallacies dicto simpliciter can be the result of ignorance or a lack of logical reasoning when arguing. In other words, we can commit them inadvertently, without realizing it, simply due to a lack of rigor when making an argument.
As in this case the fallacy is unintentional, this type of argument is usually classified as a paralogism rather than a fallacy itself (although many authors use the terms paralogism and fallacy as equivalents).
On the other hand, there are also cases in which we consciously make improper applications of a generalization, with the sole intention of winning an argument, lying or deceiving others. In this case, we are in the presence of a fallacy itself, also called sophistry.
For example, many times we use the generalization that politicians always lie, a generalization that we intend to apply to classify a comment by a politician that we saw on the news as a lie, simply because we did not like what he said. Here we are applying the general rule to a particular case, without considering the circumstances under which that politician is giving his statements. Perhaps if we did, we would notice that it is actually unlikely that he is lying at that particular moment.
The dicto simpliciter fallacy versus the dicto secundum fallacy
It is very easy to confuse the dicto simpliciter fallacy with its sister, the dicto secundum fallacy , which is the reverse case. This fallacy, also called reverse accident, is the opposite of the dicto simpliciter , since it implies improper generalization of particular cases. An example can be when we mistakenly say, “this grasshopper is green, therefore, all grasshoppers are green.”
The reverse accident fallacy is perhaps one of the most common, since many of us have a strong tendency to generalize.
Examples of dicto simpliciter fallacies
The dicto simpliciter fallacies are committed by applying a rule as if there were never any exceptions, that is, as if they were always rigid. Some particular examples are:
- If you can’t yell at school, you can’t yell at the playground either. Here the school rule is being generalized to the backyard, without considering the particular differences or circumstances that make the rule not apply in the second context.
- Birds fly, and this is a bird, so it certainly flies . In this case, the first generalization is being accepted as absolute. However, it is clear that there are birds that are birds but do not fly, such as chickens, the New Zealand kiwi and the ostrich.
- He is dirty and dressed in rags, he must be homeless. The error in this argument is to apply the general rule that homeless people don’t have good clothes or a place to wash up to call someone who is poorly dressed and dirty homeless. There can be an endless number of particular circumstances that have left a person dirty and with their clothes in tatters, such as a traffic accident, for example, or an assault.
References
Battu, N. (2020). Fallacies and fallacious handling with legal impact . Editorial UNL. https://bibliotecavirtual.unl.edu.ar:8443/bitstream/handle/11185/5551/falacias_web.pdf
Garcia Damborenea, R. (sf). DICTIONARY OF FALLACIES . Use of reason. http://www.usoderazon.com/conten/arca/ARCAPDFCOMPLETO.pdf
Rhetorics.com. (2015, March 16). Examples of the Fallacy of Accident . https://www.retoricas.com/2015/03/ejemplos-de-la-falacia-del-accidente.html
