Overview: Fallacy Of Composition | ||
Type | ||
Definition | The assumption that things have the same properties as their parts. | |
Related Concepts |
What is the Fallacy Of Composition? John Spacey, updated on
The fallacy of composition is an assumption that something has the same properties as its parts. This assumption is often wrong as can easily be illustrated in examples:---Airplanes are made of composite materialsComposite materials are lightTherefore, aircraft are light---All cells are aquaticAll organisms are composed of cellsTherefore, all organisms are aquatic---Silicon and metals can't do mathMicrochips are made of silicon and metalsTherefore, microchips can't do math---A runner who runs faster can win the raceIf all runners run faster they can all win the race---In many cases, the composition fallacy is less than obvious. For example, many people might agree with a statement such as "a company that hires smart people makes smart decisions." However, due to factors such as the Abilene Paradox, such a statement isn't generally valid.
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