What is a
false dichotomy
A false dichotomy (or false dilemma) is a logical fallacy in which a limited number of choices or sides are presented as mutually inclusive, when in reality more options are available. It’s also known as the “either-or fallacy
How to be sure
it’s a false
dichotomy
- Two alternatives are presented as the only available choices
- These alternatives are not actually mutually exclusive
- The fact that other reasonable options are available is concealed
Everyday Examples
If you’re not with us, you’re against us.
Either you buy this book or you don’t care about reading.
You’re either part of the solution or part of the problem.
Project Description
Truth Labs for Education is a collaboration between Cambridge University, the University of Bristol, and Google Jigsaw. We created a series of short videos designed to help people resist unwanted persuasion online. The videos are rooted in a framework from social psychology called inoculation theory, which posits that by exposing people to a weakened dose of a persuasive argument or technique and pre-emptively refuting it, they develop psychological resistance against future manipulative persuasion attempts.
We created 5 videos, each of which “inoculates” people against a particular manipulation technique or misleading rhetorical device commonly encountered online: ad hominem attacks, using emotional language to evoke fear or outrage, false dichotomies, incoherence, and scapegoating.
