Bad Thoughts

In Bad Thoughts: A Guide to Clear Thinking, philosopher James Whyte describes flawed approaches that people use when making arguments. I’ve seen most of those questionable approaches many times before: relying on the authority of someone who isn’t an expert, accepting ideas on faith, redefining terms, preventing others from speaking, misusing statistics, and so on.

Sometimes Whyte views things in overly black-and-white terms. For example, his “Motive Fallacy” warns you not to disregard a claim simply because it’s in the speaker’s best interest for you to believe the claim. While that’s a reasonable point, taking into account the biases and interests of a speaker is often helpful.

Bad Thoughts is an easy-to-read book, full of specific examples that clarify each fallacy. Though you’ve probably seen many of the logical errors discussed elsewhere, it’s convenient for them to be collected in one concise analysis. As far as I can tell, the book hasn’t altered the way I make arguments or analyze what others have to say. Still, it was worthwhile, especially since it didn’t take long to complete.

Since Bad Thoughts was published in Britain, you’ll have to order it through Amazon UK. New Scientist has an interview with the author, which motivated me to read the book in the first place.