Comment on Why do we say, "when I look in the mirror" instead of "when I look in a mirror?"
Nibodhika@lemmy.world 5 months agoThat’s a common mistake, an argument from authority is only a fallacy if the person is not an authority in the field. Quoting Neil deGrasse Tyson on political views is an argument from authority, quoting him on astrophysics is not.
EleventhHour@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Wrong. Authority is not what makes an argument correct— facts are. And those exist regardless of any claimed authority— therefore, to argue that one’s authority makes them correct is a fallacy, for it is facts and evidence, not authority, from which truth is derived.
Nibodhika@lemmy.world 5 months ago
The thing is that facts are not as clear cut as you think, that’s a very childish vision of the world (to think that it is always possible to differentiate a fact, don’t believe me? What am I wearing now? There is a factual answer, but you have no way of knowing it)
Plus if Neil deGrasse Tyson claims something about astrophysics and you claim he’s wrong, you better have at least someone as knowledgeable as him in astrophysics to back that claim, otherwise I’m siding with the expert on the matter.
Plus all discussions rely on the backing of experts, otherwise any discussion is impossible, I could just claim your argument is wrong because some word you used means the opposite of what you meant, your only counter argument would be to point to a dictionary, which is by your own definition an appeal to authority fallacy.
EleventhHour@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Now you’re equivocating and using personal insults.
And there were “experts” who said that COVID vaccine causes autism.
Fact, make one correct. Not authority.
Nibodhika@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I’m not insulting you, but thinking that facts are always knowledgeable is a childish vision of the world.
You put quotes around expert because you know they weren’t, actual experts were saying vaccines did not cause autism. Let me ask you then, how do YOU know that vaccines don’t cause autism? Because to me the answer is simple, I’ve listened to the consensus of the experts, but to you that’s a fallacy.
Facts are not always knowledgeable, authority in a field gives one credibility over the facts they claim.
morriscox@lemmy.world 5 months ago
I have had people hand me a floppy disk and want me to download the Internet onto it. I have told them that that is impossible but how do they know that I’m telling them the truth?