I’d appreciate examples of the sticker shortcut fallacy with in-depth analysis of why they’re wrong and how the information should have been communicated instead.
For example, observing that most birds can fly, assuming that flight is a necessary trait for being classified as a bird (composition), and subsequently excluding penguins from being birds because they don’t fly (division). Or observing that mammals tend to have fur, assuming fur is a necessary trait for being a mammal, and therefore excluding dolphins as not mammals. Or observing that weapons tend to cause bleeding and therefore excluding blunt instruments like clubs and batons. The list goes on.
I am planning yet another follow-up to outline more contentious examples. Basically, almost any dispute that is based on a disguised query and hinges on specific categorization matches the fallacy. Some of the prominent examples that come to mind, with the sticker shortcut label italicized:
Was January 6th an insurrection?
Is Israel committing a genocide?
Are IQ tests a form of eugenics?
All of these questions appear to be a disguised query into asking whether X is a “really bad thing”. But instead of asking this directly, they try to sneak in the connotation through the label. Similarly, the whole debate over whether transwomen are women is a hodgepodge of disguised queries that try to sneak in a preferred answer through the acceptance of labels. In each of these examples, we’re better served by discussing the thing directly rather than debating over labels. Does this help clarify?
I’d appreciate examples of the sticker shortcut fallacy with in-depth analysis of why they’re wrong and how the information should have been communicated instead.
I wanted to include very basic examples first:
I am planning yet another follow-up to outline more contentious examples. Basically, almost any dispute that is based on a disguised query and hinges on specific categorization matches the fallacy. Some of the prominent examples that come to mind, with the sticker shortcut label italicized:
Was January 6th an insurrection?
Is Israel committing a genocide?
Are IQ tests a form of eugenics?
All of these questions appear to be a disguised query into asking whether X is a “really bad thing”. But instead of asking this directly, they try to sneak in the connotation through the label. Similarly, the whole debate over whether transwomen are women is a hodgepodge of disguised queries that try to sneak in a preferred answer through the acceptance of labels. In each of these examples, we’re better served by discussing the thing directly rather than debating over labels. Does this help clarify?