Final answer:
A fallacious argument exists when the premises do not adequately support the conclusion or the structure of the argument is flawed, leading to issues such as irrelevant premises, circular reasoning, or alternative arguments with greater support.
Step-by-step explanation:
A fallacious argument is one where the premises fail to adequately support the conclusion, despite the premises themselves being true or false. It is crucial in logical reasoning that premises are relevant and lead to the conclusion through a clear process of inference. A logical argument should make it apparent how one is to move cognitively from the premises to the conclusion. When an argument is fallacious, it indicates that there is either a formal fallacy related to the structure of the argument, or there is a disconnect between the evidence provided by the premises and the conclusion drawn.
Varieties of problems can occur with fallacious arguments, including:
- Premises that are false or questionable
- Premises that are irrelevant or unrelated to the conclusion
- Arguments that incorporate circular reasoning, where the premises contain the conclusion
- Premises that are inadequate to support the conclusion
- The presence of alternative arguments that have equal or greater support
Understanding and identifying these issues can help in evaluating the strength of an argument. A well-crafted argument will instead contain a logical flow from the premises to the conclusion, where the truth of the premises reliably supports the truth of the conclusion and the inference made is clear and substantiated.