amphiboly
Quick Summary
Amphibology is a type of verbal fallacy that occurs when a sentence or phrase has more than one possible interpretation due to its grammatical structure. This ambiguity can lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations. For example, the sentence "Save soap and waste paper" could be interpreted as a command to conserve soap and discard waste paper, or as a statement that soap is more valuable than waste paper. This is distinct from amphibole, which is a group of rock-forming silicate minerals.123
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- fallacyVerbal fallacies
(2) Amphiboly occurs when the grammar of a statement is such that several distinct meanings can obtain (example: “The governor says, ‘Save soap and waste paper.’ So soap is more valuable than paper.”). (3) Accent is a counterpart of amphiboly arising when a statement can bear…
Read More(2) Amphiboly occurs when the grammar of a statement is such that several distinct meanings can obtain (example: “The governor says, ‘Save soap and waste paper.’ So soap is more valuable than paper.”). (3) Accent is a counterpart of amphiboly arising when a statement can bear…
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applied logicVerbal fallacies…ambiguity of a single word, amphiboly consists of the ambiguity of a complex expression (e.g., “I shot an elephant in my pajamas”). A typical fallacy due to the combination or division of words is an ambiguity of scope. Thus, “He can walk even when he is sitting” can mean either…
Read More…ambiguity of a single word, amphiboly consists of the ambiguity of a complex expression (e.g., “I shot an elephant in my pajamas”). A typical fallacy due to the combination or division of words is an ambiguity of scope. Thus, “He can walk even when he is sitting” can mean either…
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