The Language of Argument

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13

Fallacies of Vagueness

This chapter examines one of the main ways in which arguments can be defective or falla-

cious because language is not used clearly enough for the context. This kind of unclarity

is vagueness. Vagueness occurs when, in a given context, a term is used in a way that

allows too many cases in which it is unclear whether or not the term applies. Vagueness

underlies several common fallacies, including three kinds of slippery-slope arguments.

Uses of Unclarity

In a good argument, a person states a conclusion clearly and then, with equal

clarity, gives reasons for this conclusion. The arguments of everyday life

often fall short of this standard. Usually, unclear language is a sign of unclear

thought. There are times, however, when people are intentionally unclear.

They might use unclarity for poetic effect or to leave details to be decided

later. But often their goal is to confuse others. This is called obfuscation.

Before we look at the various ways in which language can be unclear, a

word of caution is needed: There is no such thing as absolute clarity. Whether

something is clear or not depends on the context in which it occurs. A bota-

nist does not use common vocabulary in describing and classifying plants.

At the same time, it would usually be foolish for a person to use botanical

terms in describing the appearance of his or her backyard. Aristotle said that

it is the mark of an educated person not to expect more rigor than the subject

matter will allow. Because clarity and rigor depend on context, it takes judg-

ment and good sense to pitch an argument at the right level.

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