Tag Archives: iron man fallacy

Just little old me…

Posted on 4/23/2013 by Scott Aikin

Dennis Prager’s post at NRO today is literally a series of conservative talking points on Islam and terrorism.  All pretty much familiar fare, from identifying a persecution complex in their opponents (the irony!) to blaming the Left for encouraging them … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad Explanations, General discussion, Iron man, Narrativism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

They believe in nothing

Posted on 12/19/2012 by John Casey

Two semi-related items today.  First, here's Newt Gingrich's version of the secularism has caused mass shootings argument, from Thinkprogress: When you have an anti-religious, secular bureaucracy and secular judiciary seeking to drive God out of public life, something fills the … Continue reading →

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Conditionalization

Posted on 8/20/2012 by John Casey

Chris Bertram at Crooked Timber has some interesting musings on conditional arguments.  Critical point: Strawser claims that IF drones reduce civilian casualties compared to other means THEN the use of drones is justified (I’m simplifying). Philosophers will typically then say … Continue reading →

Posted in General discussion, Iron man | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

L’uomo di sasso*

Posted on 4/26/2012 by John Casey

Tony Perkins, of Focus on the Family fame, shows the uninitiated how to iron man.  For those playing along at home, an iron man is a kind of reverse straw man.  Instead of weakening an argument so as more easily to defeat it, an … Continue reading →

Posted in General discussion, Iron man, Tony Perkins | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Iron men at the Washington Post

Posted on 1/23/2012 by John Casey

Some classic iron manning from the Washington Post's Ombudsman (via Media Matters and Atrios): When President Obama has a bad day, or more specifically, on days when the economic news has been bad, I get a slew of feedback from conservative readers … Continue reading →

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Meat stoking, plenty of it

Posted on 6/19/2011 by John Casey

I've been thinking of the reverse straw man for a bit now.  Following the suggestions of some friends and commenters at the Mid South, one variation of the too charitable straw man we might call the "iron man."  This is … Continue reading →

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