Hey what’s up Thinkers! Kathy Gibbens here…
I wanted to start off by sharing a review that a listener left for the podcast - thank you so much, by the way! Leaving a review helps so much, even if it’s just hitting that 5-start button (hopefully you want to leave a 5-star review!) it really means a lot to me. So this review was left by someone who called themself “Listening Critically”. They said this: “Thank you so so so so much for doing this podcast! I wish you could do a podcast everyday, because now I am caught up and have to wait for a new one to come! However, I completely understand not being able to do that. Thank you so much Kathy!” You are so so so so welcome! I appreciate the fact that you wish I could publish everyday b/c that means you’re enjoying & getting value out of this podcast! I did originally think I’d be able to publish 4 episodes a week, but had to cut it down to 3 a week just b/c it takes me a hot minute to prepare for each episode, even though they’re pretty short episodes.
Along those lines, I wanted to let those of you who are listening in real time know that this will be the only episode I release this week, and I’m taking a short publishing break over Christmas, but I’ll be back on January 2nd with new episodes!
I also want to give a special thank you to Classical Conversations for sponsoring this show these past few months! The Classical Conversations® homeschool programs set students up for success in all areas of life by encouraging them to develop the skills necessary to learn anything. By joining a Classical Conversations community of local homeschool families, you’ll be equipped with the tools and training to homeschool with confidence. Learn more by filling out the form at classicalconversations.com/gibbens.
Ok, so the new fallacy we’ll be covering today is the Fallacy of Ambiguity. The Fallacy of Ambiguity happens when someone uses unclear, vague words that may have a double meaning in an argument or a statement so that it isn’t totally clear what they mean. It can also happen when someone uses universal language that applies to everyone and therefore they avoid being specific enough to make a good argument. In this instance, they stay vague enough to be right and then take credit, but not be blamed if they’re wrong. They can use this vagueness to their advantage in a number of ways, which I’ll get to in a minute.
If you listened to episode 14 on Equivocation, you may be thinking it sounds similar, and you’d be right! Equivocation is a form of the Fallacy of Ambiguity!
This fallacy is also sometimes called An Ambiguous Assertion or Amphiboly.
Here’s an example of the Fallacy of Ambiguity: “Are you in favor of taking care of the environment?” “Well sure, we’re supposed to be good stewards of the world God created” “Well then I assume you also support this bill that will shut down all coal & gas production immediately in favor of wind, solar & electric energy?” Ok, do you see the Ambiguity in that first question? When they said, “taking care of the environment” what exactly does that even mean? Does it mean caring for nature & cleaning up wildlife areas or does it mean passing laws or does it mean forcing people to buy a certain kind of car and use solar panels? In our society, environmental issues have morphed & changed and what one person considers to be ‘taking care of the environment’ could be very different from what another person thinks when they hear that phrase. It’s ambiguous, vague & unclear and can lead to big problems in communication if someone doesn’t ask for clarification.
One of the problems with the Fallacy of Ambiguity happens when words or phrases in a statement can be understood in more than one way. That makes it hard to understand and be clear about what is really meant. Another way the Fallacy of Ambiguity can be used to confuse or distract is that the person committing this fallacy can’t be held responsible for being wrong or incorrect b/c they were so vague in what they were saying in the first place. The Fallacy is Ambiguity is basically a big nothing burger of a statement or argument b/c they’re so ambiguous or vague or confusing that they’re sort of not really saying much at all.
This last example of the Fallacy of Ambiguity might ruffle some feathers, but try to listen with an open mind and hear the ambiguity in this example. I’m not trying to rip on anyone, just pointing out the Ambiguity in this example. OK? ok. Sometimes, well meaning Christians will try to “speak for God” or “operate in the prophetic” using really ambiguous language. For instance, they might say something like, “there’s somebody here today that God loves and wants to bless, and He wants you to know that He will always be there for you and will never leave you.” Now, truly, I’m not trying to make fun of anyone, but you need to have discernment, yes, even in the church!, with people who are real and those who are just saying things that sound good. The Bible tells us to test the spirits and we can’t just take any old thing that someone says just b/c they’re a Christian. This is part of loving God with our minds! In this example, the things that this person said are straight from the Bible and apply to everyone! They’re not specific to just one person. The problem with someone claiming to be prophetic and then just saying really ambiguous things is that the things they’re saying could literally apply to ANYBODY so the person can get the credit for being right and sounding ‘godly’ (b/c of course all this is right!) but they don’t have to take any blame for being wrong b/c they’re so non-specific. That’s the Fallacy of Ambiguity.
So, the question to ask if someone is being vague or ambiguous is simple: “What do you mean by that?” *repeat*
Don’t get roped into a vague conversation that produces nothing but misunderstanding…get clarification first. Alright, that’s it for today…
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?”
