7/29/2019 Fallacy of the Golden Mean

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FALLACY OF THE GOLDEN MEAN

DEFINITION:This fallacy consists in assuming that the moderate or middle view

between two extremes must be the best or right one simply because it isthe middle view.

A logical fallacy, which asserts that given two positions there, exists acompromise between them, which must be correct.

Takes form of assuming that the mossy valid conclusion is that whichaccepts the best compromise between two competing positions.

EXAMPLES:

"I have difficulty accepting the notion that all human events are theinevitable results of prior causes, but I also have difficulty with the view thathuman beings can act apart from prior causes in their experience. In otherwords, I find both determinism and indeterminism untenable. Surely themost defensible view is somewhere between those extremes."

"Consider the following argument that is Sometimes put forth regarding theIsraeli-Arab conflict: Both the Arab and Israeli points of view representextremes. Therefore, some kind of compromise must be the solution.'Compromise may be the only way that this dispute can be finally settled,

but it is a different thing to say that a compromise per se is the solution inthat conflict."

"Suppose you are looking for a used refrigerator for your apartment andyou find one that seems to be the right size at a used furniture store. Theseller wants $300 for it, and you offer $200. Because the two of you are farapart on the price, you suggest 'splitting the difference' at $250. Althoughsuch a compromise may seem fair to you, it my not be the best solution tothe problem. On the one hand, it is possible that the seller already hasalmost $250 invested in it and needs to make some profit. On the otherhand, it is possible that it may not be worth $250 in the used furnituremarket. Indeed, your original offer may have been a fair one."

"Bob says we should buy a computer. Sue says we shouldn't. Therefore,the best solution is to compromise an buy half a computer."

"Some people claim that God is all powerful, all knowing, and all good.Other people claim that God does not exist at all. Now, it seems

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reasonable to accept a position somewhere in the middle. So, it is likelythat God exists, but he is only very powerful, very knowing, and verygood."

"In our psychology department, half of the faculty believe that a behavioral

approach is the only valid approach; the other half believe that the only

avid approach is psychodynamic. Obviously the most valid approach must

be one that incorporates both behavioral and psychodynamic elements."

"Should we start counting at 0 or 1? Lets compromise and start at 0.5"