Ignoratio elenchi

Ignoratio elenchi (also known as irrelevant conclusion^[1] or irrelevant thesis) is the informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but does not address the issue in question. "Ignoratio elenchi" can be roughly translated by ignorance of refutation, that is, ignorance of what a refutation could logically be; "elenchi" is from the Greek έλεγχος, meaning an argument of disproof or refutation.^[2]

Aristotle would describe ignoratio elenchi as a mistake made during a refutation of an argument. He called it "an ignorance" of what makes for a refutation. For Aristotle, ignoratio elenchi amounts to ignorance of logic. To Aristotle all logical fallacies can be reduced to ignoratio elenchi.^{[citation needed][3]}

Red herring

Look up red herring in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Similar in category, but with darker implications than ignoratio elenchi, a "red herring" is an answer, given in reply to a questioner, that goes beyond an innocent logical irrelevance. A "red herring" is a deliberate attempt to divert a process of enquiry by changing the subject.

For example:

"I think that we should make the academic requirements stricter for students. I recommend that you support this, because we are in a budget crisis and we do not want our salaries affected."

Topic A is the proposal that academic requirements be raised. Topic B is the possible effects of a budget crisis on teacher salaries. Topic A is abandoned and the unrelated topic B is introduced.

A "red herring" is a debating tactic that seeks desperately to divert a worthy opponent. A digression can, similarly, be a verbal tactic of diversion, but has no place in a serious debate; and the diversion of digression may also be in play.

During a political campaign effort, President Truman referred to accusations that his administrative policies leaked information to Communist Russia as a political red herring.^[4]

See also

• Enthymeme
• Reductio ad Hitlerum

References

External links

• Nizkor Project: Red Herring
• Fallacy Files: Red Herring
• The Phrase Finder: Red Herring
• Infidels.org: Ignoratio elenchi
• The Art of Controversy: Diversion (bilingual with the original German) by Arthur Schopenhauer
• Red herring in political speech
• "Ignoratio Elenchi: A News Feed: Complete07may07". Blog at Worldpress.com. May 2007. http://rzollinger.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/ignoratio-elenchi-a-news-feed-complete/. Retrieved 6 August 2009.