On statistics and appeal to authority fallacy in debate
  • Incoherence
    6
    Statistics is commonly use as a tool in debate. It could be use to attack other argument or to defend an argument.

    There are some contradictory quote about statistics itself:
    Data is a product of research. It’s not a random number that falls from the debate gods for you to use to win a round. — Noah Mengisteab & Barry Corcoran
    The UK Statistics Authority has the statutory role to safeguard and promote the production and publication of Official Statistics. — BBC Editorial Guidelines

    So, I try to make my own conclusion about whether a statistics is entirely pure from logical fallacy or not when someone use statistics in debate and produced this:
    Statistics sometimes contain logical fallacy. It is exist due to widespread of scientific method usage which exist as an indirect form of appeal to authority fallacy.


    Even after I produced that conclusion, some question still arise:
    Is appeal to authority fallacy in debate itself arise from standardization of science by scientific method? Or could it arise from public ethical concern toward authority? Or could it arise from Machiavellianism?
    Incoherence Options
  • tim wood
    9.3k
    Statistics is just math. The problem is not in the use of statistics, but in its misuse. And misuse isn't always vicious in intent. But knowing good from bad statistics requires knowing a lot about statistics.

    As for statistics being inherently a problem, it is only insofar as it's the wrong tool for the job.
    tim wood Options
  • Jeremiah
    1.5k
    ↪tim wood


    Statistics is not just math, that's a common misconception.
    Jeremiah Options
  • Jeremiah
    1.5k
    ↪Incoherence


    Statistics sometimes contain logical fallacy.

    That link does not say statistics contains logical fallacies, it says the misuse of statistics is a statistical fallacy.

    It is exist due to widespread of scientific method usage which exist as an indirect form of appeal to authority fallacy.

    That makes no sense at all. You have to explain everything in science and back up everything with evidence. So how could it have an appeal to authority fallacy?

    The fallacies you listed are things people do, they are not inherit in the methods.
    Jeremiah Options
  • Jeremiah
    1.5k
    There is a reason statistics is employed on such a large scale in the modern world, because, when done correctly, it works. What you should be doing instead, is educating yourself in statistical principles so that other people can't mislead you with it. The problem is not the stats, the problem is that people are data illiterate and the key is self education.
    Jeremiah Options
  • tim wood
    9.3k
    ↪Jeremiah
    Great! What is it, then? Or what else is it?
    tim wood Options
  • Jeremiah
    1.5k
    ↪tim wood
    It is a mathematical science, so science is the other half of that. Statisticians are trained in things like experiment design, sampling methods, model design and selection, and other general scientific principles.
    Jeremiah Options
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