An accidental error occurs when a rule that includes exceptions is applied as a universal generalization. This fallacy can be attacked by pointing out the rule’s faulty application and ignoring established exceptions. Accidental mistakes occur when someone does not fully understand exceptions within a rule. They can be refuted by pointing out known exceptions. Using clichés can also lead to accidental mistakes.
An accidental error is an informal error in which a rule that includes exceptions is applied to a situation as if there were no exceptions to the rule. In other words, this error occurs when a “rule of thumb”, created to include exceptions, is replaced with a universal generalization, which does not include exceptions. This type of fallacy can be attacked in an argument or debate simply by pointing out that the rule’s application is faulty and ignore known or established exceptions to that rule. An accidental fallacy often occurs when someone tries to use a cliché within an argument.
Also called a sweeping generalization, an accidental mistake is typically the result of someone not fully understanding the exceptions within a given rule. This can occur when someone does not establish their understanding of a rule first, to determine whether it is a rule of thumb or a universal generalization. A rule of thumb is a rule created to include exceptions, such as “All normal or typical dogs have fur.” In contrast to this is a universal generalization, which would be the statement “All dogs have fur”, which does not include any possibility of exceptions.
An accidental fallacy can occur when someone uses a universal generalization in a situation where a rule of thumb would be more appropriate. In the example above, the rule of thumb uses the words “normal or typical” to account for situations such as dogs that are not naturally hairy, dogs that have been shaved, and dogs that are sick and have lost their hair. Someone arguing that a hairless dog is not a dog, since it has no hair, has made an accidental mistake by considering the class of dogs through the universal generalization, which is obviously incorrect.
When an accidental fallacy is used, it can be easy for someone to attack the argument by pointing out the fallacy. This can be done simply by pointing to a known exception to the rule that the person has stated as part of his or her argument, which invalidates the incident as a basis for the argument. In the example with dogs, someone who argues that all dogs have fur could be refuted by an opponent by citing the American hairless terrier or any poodle breed, which has fur instead of fur. Someone using a cliché, like “You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs” is also making an accidental mistake. To disprove such a claim, someone else only needs to disprove the cliché itself or provide an example of a situation that goes against the meaning of the claim.
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