34 An Introduction to Clearer Thinkingfallacy is with dangling modifiers or misplaced modifiers. Often
amphibolies can be the source of humor —“While driving to
work one morning the dog was hit by the car.” Or, “While
standing on his hind legs the little boy played with his dog.” But,
sometimes an amphiboly, by allowing two interpretations, can
pose a serious problem, as in Shakespeare’s MacBeth —Act IV
Scene I, where MacBeth is told, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute
...for none of woman bom shall harm MacBeth.”COMPOSITION AND DIVISION This problem occurs
when in the course of a discussion a concept is taken collectively
in one part and divisively in another, or vice versa. Errors due
to the fallacy of composition and division are commonplace. For
example, statements like, “Amherst College is a great school.
John Jones, who teaches there, must be a great teacher.” Or,
“John Jones must be a great teacher. He teaches at Amherst
College, a great school.” Either way, however sound those
statements seem, they are nothing more than fallacies of compo
sition and division.
We come in contact with this fallacy daily when we hear about
a particular teacher who is considered good; thus the school he
teaches at is also “good.” We hear about all the “big” games, and
usually the media hype tries to equate the talents of the individual
players with the forecast of who will win the “great” game. When
a teacher describes his class as “great,” the student who takes that
comment personally, shouldn’t. We simply cannot take com
ments that refer to groups, teams, organizations, and particular
ize them. Nor can we take evaluations about individuals or parts
of a whole and generalize about them.
ACCENT (VICIOUS ABSTRACTION) This fallacy is least
evident in the form its title suggests. The problem of misplaced
emphasis on a word or syllable is usually easily detected and no
great cause for concern. Sarcasm is usually easily discerned, so
when some says, “You’re a real winner,” it is usually evident
whether it’s a compliment or an insult. When your mother says,
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” you usually can tell
whether she means, “I hope you know what you’re doing,” or
“Don’t do it, you’ll mess up.”
The more common form of the fallacy of accent is called