False dilemma
The logical fallacy of false dilemma, also known as false dichotomy, either/or dilemma or bifurcation, is to set up two alternative points of view as if they were the only options, when they are not.
Examples:
- Either creationism must be true or Darwin's theory of evolution must be true. Therefore, if it is shown that Darwin's theory is false, then creationism must be true.
This argument is fallacious because its premise fails to recognize that there are many other possibilities than just Darwin's views and creationism.
False dilemmas are also common in politics. They are often hidden in (rhetorical) questions, and then become akin to the fallacy of many questions, as in:
- Should the USA become a communist dictatorship, or should our party lead the country?
- You're either for us or against us.
"Seeing something in black and white" is also an example of a false dilemma.
A term coined by Arthur Glasser, the founder of modern missiology, referring to the common Western practice of believing in ethical moral practices and a great God above, but with no interaction between the two levels on a regular basis- i.e. no miracles. Hence there is an "excluded middle" to the spirituality.
See also:
