An either-or fallacy presents only two options when there are more. It can be accidental or intentional and is a false dilemma. The burden of proof is on the accuser to demonstrate another option. Some situations have only two possibilities, such as binary systems.
An either-or fallacy is a type of fallacy in which a person makes a statement that presents only two possible options, when in fact there are more than those two. This type of mistake is often made by someone trying to persuade someone else to believe that there are only two options. Someone arguing that this type of fallacy is being used must be able to demonstrate that at least one more relevant and meaningful choice is available. An either-or mistake is not always made when someone presents an “either-or” statement, as some situations legitimately have only two possibilities.
Also referred to as a “false dilemma,” an aut-aut fallacy occurs when someone incorrectly presents only two possible options as the only ones. This occurs either accidentally or intentionally, when someone making an argument confuses contradictory and contrary propositions. A contradictory proposition is a statement of two conditions in which only one of the two conditions must be true, such as “it breathes or it does not breathe”. Conversely, a counterstatement is a statement in which at most one of two conditions is true, but it is also possible that neither is true, such as “today is Monday or today is Tuesday.” This is reversed as there are five other days where it could be.
When someone presents a contrary proposition as contradictory, then an either-or fallacy occurs as the person creates a situation where only two possibilities appear to exist in mutual exclusivity. The statement “Are you part of the solution or are you part of the problem” can be seen as an either-or. This statement completely ignores other possibilities, especially that someone may not be part of a given problem nor contribute to the solution of that problem. Many non-smokers, for example, are not contributing to the problem of smoking in public places, but neither are they actively trying to ban such behavior.
Whenever someone claims that an argument presents an either-or fallacy, the burden of proof is on him or her to prove that claim. Such evidence can be provided by demonstrating that there is at least one other relevant and meaningful option. Someone who says “the team won or lost” could be committing an either-or fallacy if someone else can prove that the game could have ended in a draw with neither a winner nor a loser. It is important for anyone considering logical arguments and fallacies to keep in mind that some aut statements are valid, including binary systems where something is on or off, such as a light switch.
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