Question

List, explain, and provide examples of 5 common errors in human inquiry.

Answer 1

Common errors in human inquiry include the following:

• Inaccurate observation – Failing to observe things right in from of us or mistakenly observing things that really aren’t there. For instance, failing to recollect the colour of the shirt one’s roommate wore the previous day.
• Overgeneralisation – Assuming that a few similar events are evidence of a general pattern. For instance, making a statement that all Muslims are terrorists.
• Selective observation – Ignoring events or situations that don’t correspond to a preconceived generalisation. For instance, believing that the gender inequality no longer exists because of increasing number of women in the workforce, despite knowing about the prevalence of pay disparity.
• Made up information – Thinking up ways to explain away the events that contradict generalisations. For instance, solely attributing the success of powerful people to their ability to manipulate others.
• Illogical reasoning – Reasoning away the observations that contradict accepted generalizations or conclusions. An example of this would be a belief that one will win a lottery jackpot next week since one has had nothing but bad luck in this endeavor for the past three weeks.