Fallacy

Fallacies are errors in reasoning that make arguments invalid, an attempt to manipulate readers by appealing to emotions and incorrect logic. Even though fallacies are extremely common, most readers/speakers don't take the time--or even realize--that the statements they read/hear are unfounded and detract from the issue at hand (many readers/speakers get caught up in the heat of the debate). C. Provincialism Any argument that attempts to settle a complex issue by appeal to group membership and group loyalty. Such arguments normally postulate an "us" versus "them" distinction and improperly assume that "our side" is automatically better than (or more trustworthy than, or more important than) theirs. Such reasoning is unsound because we often find ourselves to be members of groups who, as a group, turn out to be wrong. (Some social scientists call this inability to look beyond our group "poverty of aspect.") A common variation is the appeal to loyalty. In this variant, the arguer says that we must act as a group and therefore cannot permit disagreement, or that we should not listen to informed, internal criticism. This form of provincialism is common in arguments against minority or dissenting views. A common variation is nationalism: expecting others to agree on the basis of national identity. For example, advertisements aimed at the American market sometimes feature an American flag or red-white-and-blue imagery for no apparent reason. This is also know as flag-waving. The fallacy of provincialism comes from the natural tendency to assume that the beliefs and practices of one's group - which typically means the beliefs and practices one is most familiar with - are more common or more correct than they really are. Provincialism can easily give rise, for example, to ethnocentrism, the belief that the people of one's nation, race, or culture, i.e., "people like us," are superior to "outsiders." Example: "A woman wouldn't make a good mayor for our town because we've never had one before."