Card 19 of 24 · Presumption
Falsum dilemma
Pretending there are only two trails off the chairlift.
Reality often offers more than two choices.
Example
“You’re either completely for growth or completely against it.”
False dilemma or bifurcation. Formally, a disjunctive syllogism whose disjunctive premise omits live options.
Diagnosis: Disjunctive syllogism is valid, but P1 is false when other options exist. The argument is valid yet unsound.
C.S. Lewis’s “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord” trilemma is often criticized for omitting “Legend.” Stronger versions address the historical-reliability option directly.
“Either God determines everything or humans are fully autonomous.” Molinism, compatibilism, and Thomist concurrence all occupy the space between.
“Either Genesis is literal history or it’s myth with no truth.” Genre options include theological history, ancient cosmology, and polemic.
Trail recovery
Map the territory. List the options, including the hybrids, before arguing for one. A brief taxonomy of views makes for a much stronger paper.
Try saying: “Are those the only two options, or are there positions in between we should consider?”
Keep questioning. Keep exploring.