Ignorance and Evasion
CMDP1023 Critical Thinking
Skills
,Appeal to Ignorance
Fallacies
Covered
Burden of Proof
Special Pleading
Personal Incredulity
, Appeal to Ignorance
It suggests that if we can’t prove something isn’t true, then it
Definition must be true (or if we can’t prove it is true, then it must be
Asserts that a claim is true simply false).
because it hasn’t been proven
false (or vice versa)
It creates an assumption without actual proof, using a lack of
evidence as “evidence” itself. This weakens the argument
because it doesn’t address the truth of the claim, only our
limited knowledge about it.
Example 1:
"Since no one has proven that mind-reading doesn’t exist, I think
it’s possible that some people might have this ability."
Example 2:
"No one has ever proven that aliens don’t exist, so they must be
real.”