Hey what’s up Thinkers! Kathy Gibbens here…
Let’s start off with an email that a listener sent me just this week! “Hello! We are a homeschool family living in Barbados, in the Caribbean 😊 . My 12yr old and 15yr old enjoy listening to your podcast with me during our homeschool day. We’ve been catching up on all the episodes. Thanks for creating this very informative and useful resource. Beth and kids!” Beth, thanks a million for taking the time to send me this email, and for listening! I love hearing from my listeners and I especially love hearing that you’re listening with your kids! I have such a heart to help the next generation learn what it means to love God with their minds, and this is one way we can do that!
Ever thought about homeschooling your kids? Since 1997, Classical Conversations has been equipping families like yours with the resources to homeschool with confidence. Following a classical curriculum rooted in a Christ-centered worldview alongside other families in a local community, homeschooling is totally doable with Classical Conversations. To learn more, fill out the form at classicalconversations.com/gibbens.
Alright, let’s dive into our new fallacy of the day, The Non Sequitur Fallacy. Yep, it’s a Latin phrase that means “it does not follow”. So a Non-Sequitur Fallacy happens when someone draws a conclusion that doesn’t logically follow from the stated premise.
A simple, silly example would be: “Oh, your kitten is so fluffy! I have a yellow truck.” Ummm…ok?? This sounds like something a 4-year-old would say, right? Just 2 random comments that have nothing to do with each other. Well, that’s a Non-Sequitur: Concluding something that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic.
Here’s another example: “People were getting cancer way before cigarettes were invented, so clearly cigarette smoking doesn't’ cause cancer.” You see the problem here? They reached an incorrect conclusion. Just b/c people got cancer before the invention of modern-day cigarettes doesn’t also mean that smoking cigarettes doesn't cause cancer.
Non-Sequitur fallacies happen when someone skips a step in the logical process of thinking about cause & effect. They jump to a conclusion or fail to think things through clearly enough.
I chuckle when I think about the old TV commercials of The Shack - Shaquille O’Neil talking about deodorant or foot powder or something. It’s like - he was a famous basketball player, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it makes sense for him to be advertising deodorant! It was a little bit of a stretch for me.
Another version of the Non Sequitur fallacy is when someone says, “Of course it’s going to rain today - I just washed my car!” Ok, is it really true that the rain was CAUSED by you washing your car? No, of course not. It’s an error in thinking.
So, the question to ask yourself when you’re faced with a Non-Sequitur fallacy is a simple one: “Is that even a logical conclusion?” *repeat*
Remember: When you learn HOW to think, you will no longer fall prey to those who are trying to tell you what THEY want you to think and it all starts with asking one simple question: “Is that really true?”
