A formal fallacy is where the basic logical structure of an arguement is flawed. For instance, the statement :
All (p) is (r)
All (q) is (r)
--------------
All (p) is (q)
You can verbalise this as :
All penguins are black and white
All old tv shows are black and white
------------------------------------
All penguins are old tv shows
A more common but less obvious example is inferring the consequence :
If (p) then (q)
But (p)
------------
Therefore (q)
For example:
If science can't explain everything then God must exist
But science doesn't explain everything
---------------------------------------------
Therefore God exists
See also : Informal fallacy, syllogism
| 
