Purchase Solution

Fallacy in reasoning about the death penalty

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

What fallacy is represented below?

The death penalty is a warning just like a lighthouse throwing its beams out to sea. We hear about shipwrecks, but we do not hear about the ships that the lighthouse guides safely on their way. We do not have proof of the number of ships it saves, but we do not tear the lighthouse down.

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

Exposes and explains the fallacious reasoning involved in comparing the death penalty to a lighthouse (warning signal).

Solution Preview

There are probably two fallacies here. There is a fallacious argument by analogy and also an appeal to ignorance.

First there is the bad analogy: the death penalty is being compared to a lighthouse. The comparison is that both send warning signals and so are valuable. However, the comparison continues, we don't know who receives and responds to those warnings. Ships that see the lighthouse and so avoid crashing don't make it into the news; only those that do crash. Similarly, it is being argued, the death penalty warns people not to committ murder--and we don't know how many people receive this warning and decide not to murder. ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
The World Health Organization

This quiz assesses the students knowledge about the World Health Organization. Although listed under “Philosophy” it is relevant to health care, political science, pre-med, and social scientist students as well.

Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy

Short quiz relating to Descartes

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Trends in Capital Punishment

    Explain your reasoning. The governor had a very valid reason to end his state's use of the death penalty as he relied upon cases that involved overturned death row convictions in the state based upon new DNA evidence.

  • Death Penalty in cases of Child Rape

    Therefore, I believe in the death penalty when someone has committed murder, and in special circumstances, I also believe the death penalty is appropriate.

  • Death Penalty for Mentally Impaired Individuals

    602658 Death Penalty for Mentally Impaired Individuals Should people with mental impairment be subjected to the death penalty?

  • The Autobiography of an Execution

    The gist of the book is that the death penalty is a horrid experiment in justice that is anything but just or equal.

  • Juvenile Death Penalty

    The Court ruled that the death penalty cannot be applied to people who committed their crimes as juveniles. There are many arguments in favor of and against this ruling.

  • examples of systemqatic and logical reasoning

    Because the death penalty has no deterrent effect and can result in the death of innocent people, it should be abolished. 1. Premise: whenever interest rates are low.

  • Categorical Syllogism

    Informal fallacies: A fallacy is said to occur if there is an error in reasoning from premises to conclusion therefore a premise does not support the conclusion.

  • Research Paper - Death Penalty

    Arguments for the Death Penalty (about 2 ½ pages) See http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/ Also see http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/news.htm IV. Arguments Against the Death Penalty (about 2 ½ pages) See http://www.fdp.dk/ V.

  • Critical thinking

    Being able to understand the fallacy and identifying the fallacy is paramount in making the right choice in an individual's vote for the next President of the United States.

View More Related Solutions