Either Or Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Commercial

Either Or Fallacy

What Is Either-Or Fallacy?

The either-or fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone assumes that two options are mutually exclusive when they are not. The name of the fallacy comes from its use of the word “either” in describing an argument. Other common names for this type of argument include false dichotomy, black and white thinking, bifurcation, and false binary.

The word “either” is often used in a set of two choices, as in “either you go to bed now or I will.”. What is the meaning of this word? The word “either” is derived from the Old English word “aeghwae.” It conveys the idea of “one or the other.” It can be used in a set of two choices as only options.

A fallacy is a flaw in reasoning. An argument can be flawed if the logic used to create it does not work or if the conclusion is true, but the premises are false. When an argument has multiple flaws, it becomes known as a complex logical fallacy, and this term applies to either/or fallacies.

Either or Fallacy Examples

In logic, an either-or fallacy is a type of informal fallacy that occurs when only two options are considered. These fallacies can be committed in many ways; the most common include false dichotomy and black-and-white thinking.

Either Or Fallacy Examples in Commercial

Examples of Either-Or Fallacy in Commercial:

The commercial tries to convince the viewer that they need a new car because their old one has too many problems.

They are using an example of or fallacy by listing all the negatives about their current car in order to persuade them to buy a new one.

An example of either or fallacy can also be seen when people use it as an excuse for not doing something they should do, like exercising.

Related: Modus Ponens and Modus Tollens Examples Fallacy

Either Or Fallacy Real Life Examples

Examples of Either-Or Fallacy in Real Life:

•  “I’m not going to the party because I don’t want to drink.”
•  “You should go to the party; you’ll have fun and meet new people.”

One of these statements is an example of either or fallacy while the other is not. The first statement commits this fallacy by implying that there are only two choices:

Drinking at a party or not attending one at all, when there may be many more options available in reality.  Options such as staying sober for the duration of the event and then leaving early if necessary, bringing your own drinks with you so that you can still enjoy yourself without alcohol, etc.

Either Or Fallacy Examples in Media

Examples of Either-Or Fallacy in Media: 

The media often uses or fallacies to create a false sense of balance in their stories.

An example is when the media reports on an event but only gives one side of the story.

This creates an illusion that there are two sides and both have merit when in reality, there is just one side with no merit.

Either Or Fallacy Examples in Advertising

Either Or Fallacy in Advertising: 

The following is an example of the “false dilemma”  or Either or logical fallacy in advertising:

 If you want to lose weight, drink this new diet shake with only 100 calories per serving and taste like a milkshake!.

This is false because there are many other ways to lose weight besides drinking this shake; for instance, one could exercise more or eat less food overall.

Other examples of either or fallacy in advertising;

• The advertisement says, “Buy our product or buy a lesser quality one.“
• The advertisement says, “If you don’t buy this car, you’ll be sorry.“

Either Or Fallacy Examples in Politics

Examples of Either or Fallacy in Politics:

The argument is that either the Democrats or the Republicans are to blame for our current state of affairs.

This fallacy relies on a false dilemma, which is when two options are presented as if they were mutually exclusive and only one can be true.

In this case, both parties have contributed to the problem, and it’s not possible for one party to be solely responsible.

Either or Fallacy in Movies

Examples of Either or Fallacy in Movies:

• The movie “Jaws” is either the best movie ever made, or it’s terrible.
• If you’re not hungry, then you must be starving.
• The movie is either good or bad, and there’s no middle ground.
• You’re either with us or against us.

Either Or Fallacy Examples in Literature

Examples of Either-Or Fallacy in Literature:

The either-or fallacy is often seen in literature when a character has to choose between two options. The author does not provide any additional information about the consequences of either option.

One example of this is when Romeo and Juliet have to decide whether they should commit suicide or be exiled from Verona.

In this case, it would be an or fallacy if Romeo chose suicide without considering exile as an option.

Either Or Fallacy Examples In News

Examples of Either-Or Fallacy In News:

The or fallacy is often seen in the news when people are discussing a potential change to legislation.

For example, if someone says that they support either A or B and then, later on, they say that they oppose both A and B, this would be an instance of the or fallacy because it can’t be true that you support one thing and reject another at the same time.

Another common use of the or fallacy is when people say, “I’ll take either X or Y,” with no intention of taking both.

Related: What is Hypothetical Syllogism & Hypothetical Syllogism Examples