Logical Errors

Logical Fallacies

Faulty Arguments

Relevance

Unwarranted Generalization

The fallacy of unwarranted generalization shows up routinely in casual conversation as well as in political discourse, advertising, and in business settings. Any sweeping statement about a person, group of people, place idea, course of action, or system of belief probably warrants close examination. A tourist may say, "I'm never going back to Spain. You can't trust those people. I had all my luggage stolen there." The sweeping generalization about the Spanish people made from one incident reflects a relatively low order of logical thinking, which we can all fall prey to occasionally. This struck me vividly when I was traveling extensively through a number of countries during 1972. I was in Germany when newspapers around the world carried the story of the shooting of George Wallace. One person, on learning that I came from the United States, asked, "Aren't you afraid to go back to America? It's such a violent country!"

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Map of Logical Errors