Refuting With Bad Arguments

One thing that I have learned in chapter 7 is different ways to refute that make for bad arguments. Some examples stated in the book are phony refutations and ridicule. Phony refutations consist of claims that are weak and add false premises to the argument. The book states that a person may also follow a slippery slope and mistake it for reducing to the absurd. When a person follows a slippery slope, they add one false premise that leads to the next. Another way to refute that makes for a bad argument is using ridicule. Although for some it may sound appealing and amusing, it makes for a very illogical way of arguing. It also is a weak and useless way to reason. One example would be when my friend and I were arguing whether or not we should have our friends stay at my place for the night or his. So we were stating the costs and benefits of each place and I stated that my house was small, cozy and it was more comfortable. My friend decided to use ridicule to sway his argument by saying, “If you want to stay in a small cramped apartment that you can barely move in, then stay at his place.” Although it may sound reasonable at first, he just tried to win the argument by ridiculing my own argument and belittling my apartment.