Question

What error in reasoning is exemplified by the following statement?

my volkswagen constantly needs repairs, and so does my roommate's mazda. we can see, then, that all foreign cars are unreliable.


O invalid analogy
O hasty generalization
O circular thinking false cause faulty deduction

Answer 1

The statement exemplifies the informal fallacy of hasty generalization, where a general statement is made with insufficient evidence, based on only two examples instead of a representative sample.

Step-by-step explanation:

The error in reasoning demonstrated by the statement about the Volkswagen and the Mazda is a hasty generalization.

Hasty generalization is an informal fallacy where a conclusion is not logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence. In the example given, the conclusion about the unreliability of all foreign cars is based on only two instances. This is an inadequate sample size to support such a general claim, as it neglects the performance and reliability of a vast number of other foreign cars. Furthermore, reliability is a feature that varies widely even within a single brand or model, depending on numerous factors such as maintenance, usage, and manufacturing variations.

To avoid the fallacy of hasty generalization, one would need to consider a larger and more statistically representative sample before concluding the reliability of an entire category of objects or concepts like 'foreign cars'. Only then could you begin to make a fair assessment of their general reliability. Without this, the reasoning remains flawed, overstating the evidence, and thus cannot be used to support the conclusion.