Logical Fallacies

Learning Objectives

• Recognizing flawed reasoning, identifying weak arguments, sharpening analysis, improving discussion, protecting intellectual honesty, listening carefully, and responding with clarity and adab.

Activity 1 (Fallacy Hunt)

Data

Setup

Prepare short statements with a flawed argument hidden inside each one.

Use these examples:

• Everyone likes this idea, so it must be correct
• He is older, so he must always be right
• We should do it because we have always done it this way
• If one part is bad, the whole thing is useless
• You either agree with me or you are against me
• This person made one mistake, so everything they say is wrong
• It worked once, so it will always work
• Nobody has proven it wrong, so it must be true

How to Play

1. Divide shabab into teams.
2. Read one statement at a time.
3. Teams identify the flaw in the reasoning.
4. Teams explain the problem in a short sentence.
5. Murabbi awards points for correct identification and clear explanation.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

• Everyone likes this idea, so it must be correct: popularity does not prove truth.
• He is older, so he must always be right: age alone does not make an argument valid.
• We should do it because we have always done it this way: tradition alone is not enough.
• If one part is bad, the whole thing is useless: one flaw does not always ruin everything.
• You either agree with me or you are against me: this ignores middle ground.
• This person made one mistake, so everything they say is wrong: one mistake does not cancel all truth.
• It worked once, so it will always work: one example is not enough proof.
• Nobody has proven it wrong, so it must be true: lack of disproof is not proof.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the tone calm and educational. The goal is to train shabab to notice weak reasoning without turning the lesson into personal argument.

Activity 2 (Fix the Argument)

Data

Setup

Write a weak argument on the board and ask the teams to repair it.

Use these argument examples:

• We should choose this because it is popular
• This plan is good because one expert said so
• That idea must be false because one bad example happened
• We should accept it because nobody complained

How to Play

1. Show one weak argument to the teams.
2. Teams rewrite it into a stronger, clearer claim.
3. They must add a reason, evidence, or condition.
4. One spokesperson reads the improved version.
5. Murabbi compares the original and improved arguments.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to turn the weak argument into a balanced statement that includes a limit or condition.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

• We should choose this because it is popular -> We can consider this option, but we should also check whether it actually works.
• This plan is good because one expert said so -> This plan may be useful, but we should compare it with other evidence too.
• That idea must be false because one bad example happened -> One bad example is not enough; we should examine more cases.
• We should accept it because nobody complained -> Silence does not prove the idea is correct, so we should still verify it.

Murabbi Notes

This activity should reward careful wording. Encourage short, strong, and fair responses instead of emotional reactions.