History Main / CircularReasoning

-->- About 6 minutes into [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/cr/ff/32594-episode-58-my-little-pony-retrospective-g4 this]] ''[[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP:FIM]]'' retrospective from ''[[ThatGuyWithTheGlasses TGWTG]].'' [[hottip:*:On the criticisms that Rainbow Dash represented the "lesbian tomboy" stereotype.]]

-->- [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/cr/ff/32594-episode-58-my-little-pony-retrospective-g4 This]] ''[[MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP:FIM]]'' retrospective from ''[[ThatGuyWithTheGlasses TGWTG]].'' [[hottip:*:On the criticisms that Rainbow Dash represented the "lesbian tomboy" stereotype.]]

* On ''OrderOfTheStick'': Though she ultimately turns out to be right, Elan points out that Haley is using circular logic against Tarquin: She won't tell him that lives are at stake concerning the information she wants because she doesn't trust him, and she doesn't trust him because he's withholding information when lives are at stake. Haley is ''not'' pleased at having been out-logicked by TheDitz.

:: Begging The Question used recursively. A is true because B is true. B is true because C is true. C is true because D is true. D is true because A is true. The proof simply circles around and around, with nothing in it that it isn't being proved by itself.

* On OrderOfTheStick: Though she ultimately turns out to be right, Elan points out that Haley is using circular logic against Tarquin: She won't tell him that lives are at stake concerning the information she wants because she doesn't trust him, and she doesn't trust him because he's withholding information when lives are at stake. Haley is ''not'' pleased at having been out-logicked by TheDitz.

* The British used a similar line of reasoning against employing homosexuals in the Secret Service; it was

* According to IsaacAsimov, this was used in the Middle Ages as an excuse not to educate women; all intelligent people know Latin, but women don't know Latin so they must be stupid, which means that there's no point in teaching them Latin (or anything else). This is also the fallacy of confusing knowledge with intelligence, which underpins large parts of so-called "[[YouFailtheIQTest intelligence tests]]".

* On the ZeroPunctuation review of WorldOfWarcraft: Cataclysm, Yahtzee asked another player why he raids. The raider's reason is that it gets stuff. Why does he want stuff? To raid with.

* Though she ultimately turns out to be right, Elan points out that Haley is using circular logic against Tarquin: She won't tell him that lives are at stake concerning the information she wants because she doesn't trust him, and she doesn't trust him because he's withholding information when lives are at stake. Haley is ''not'' pleased at having been out-logicked by TheDitz.

[[AC: Web Comics]]
* Though she ultimately turns out to be right, Elan points out that Haley is using circular logic against Tarquin: She won't tell him that lives are at stake concerning the information she wants because she doesn't trust him, and she doesn't trust him because he's withholding information when lives are at stake. Haley is ''not'' pleased at having been out-logicked by TheDitz.

* Used for BlackComedy in "The Sleepy Sentinel" (from ''Epitaphs of the War'') by RudyardKipling:
--> I sleep because I am slain. They slew me because I slept.

[[AC: Live Action TV]]

* This exchange at HowIMetYourMother (non-exact quotes):
-->'''Ted:''' Oh, cereals. I'll have a bowl too.
-->'''Robin:''' We're out of milk.
-->'''Ted:''' I just saw a bottle on the fridge.
-->'''Robin:''' It's empty.
-->'''Ted:''' Then put it at garbage!
-->'''Robin:''' The garbage can is full.
-->'''Ted:''' Why didn't you take the garbage out?!
-->'''Robin:''' I'm eating right now!

** Ofcourse the player is probably trying to explain that he enjoys the activity for its own sake, and has no ulterior motive beyond being able to continue it as long as possible.

* On the ZeroPunctuation review of WorldOfWarcraft: Cataclysm, Yahtzee asked another player why he raids. The raider's reason is that it gets stuff. Why does he want stuff? To raid with.

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* On ZeroPunctuation's review of WorldOfWarcraft: Cataclysm, he mentions he asked another player why he raids. The raider's reason is that it gets stuff. Why does he want stuff? To raid with.

[[AC:Real Life]]
* The British used a similar line of reasoning against employing homosexuals in the Secret Service; it was

--> Homosexuals cannot be employed in the Secret Service because they are a security risk.
--> Therefore, any homosexual employed by the Secret Service would lose his job if he were found out.
--> Therefore, any homosexual employed by the Secret Service would do anything to avoid being found out.
--> Therefore, homosexual employees of the Secret Service are more open to blackmail than non-homosexual employees.
--> Therefore, homosexuals present a security risk and should not be employed in the Secret Service.

* According to IsaacAsimov, this was used in the Middle Ages as an excuse not to educate women; all intelligent people know Latin, but women don't know Latin so they must be stupid, which means that there's no point in teaching them Latin (or anything else). This is also the fallacy of confusing knowledge with intelligence, which underpins large parts of so-called "[[YouFailtheIQTest intelligence tests]]".

* There are many geologists and paleontologists (and textbooks) that dictate that they know how old fossils are by the age of the rock they found them in. And how do they know how old the rock is? [[WallBanger By how old the fossils they found them in are]].

* On ZeroPunctuation's review of WorldOfWarcraft: Cataclysm, he mentions he ask another player why he raids. The raider's reason is that it gets stuff. Why does he want stuff? To raid with.

* According to IsaacAsimov, this was used in the Middle Ages as an excuse not to educate women; all intelligent people know Latin, but women don't know Latin so they must be stupid, which means that there's no point in teaching them Latin (or anything else). This is also the fallacy of confusing knowledge with intelligence, which underpins large parts of so-called "[[YouFailtheIQTest intelligence tests]]".

--> Therefore, homosexuals present a security risk and should not be employed in the Secret Service.

--> Therefore, homosexuals present a security risk and should not be employed in the Secret Service.

* And of course, the classic:
-->TheBible is true.
-->Therefore {{God}} exists, and is honest, and wrote the Bible, because the Bible says so.
-->Therefore the Bible must be true, because God wrote it.
-->(Repeat)

-->Therefore {{God}} exists, because the Bible says He does.
-->(God is also honest, because the Bible says he is.)

* The ''Catch-22'' of the novel of the same name is Circular Reasoning. The dialogue that explains it: