You have recently viewed the documentary “Here Be Dragons” with Brian Dunning, where you experienced several examples of ambiguity, not just in the information given, but in the presentation as well. Whether you agreed or disagreed with the particular issues Dunning was critical about is not the focus of today’s blog.
What you are requested to consider are the particular instances in Dunning’s program where you noticed the fallacy of ambiguity, earmarked by “proofs” of hypocrisy, equivocation ,amphiboly, accent, and division. (See highlights on page 138 for a vocabulary refresher). You may one or more examples, at your own discretion. Please keep your blog entry between 75-125 words.
In his film “Here Be Dragons,” Brian Dunning states that precognition is nothing more than a pseudoscience. However, he only counters one form of precognition with evidence in an effort to disprove its existence. He fails to address the other areas of precognition. He utilizes a statistical formula based on one area of precognition to completely dismiss all forms of this phenomenon. This is known as fallacy of division. In order to accurately disprove the existence of precognition, he should have provided scientific evidence and solid facts that tackle precognition in parts and not as a whole.
ReplyDeleteIn the film "Here Be Dragons", I think that he did a good thing by telling people about products that are scams. There are many products in the world now and most of them say they really work but sometimes that truth is that they really don't. Some things that cure your health could be true and I believe that there are some curse for very bad health situations. I think that when he was saying that certain products were scams, he should have demonstrated why they didn't work for people and what health problems they could cause the consumer.
ReplyDeleteIn the film we watched in Phil 250 "Here Be Dragons". He made many good points and quite a few bad ones. One of his good points was how he showed how fake products and the people selling them are. He also made the point that some people like to take advantages of situations A bad point was how he was saying how bad everything was but he seemed like he was really full of his self like he knows everything which is a problem in the world which can lead to more problems and cause more "Dragons" to be out there.
ReplyDeleteI really believe that Brian Dunning is very one sided in his conversation. He does make some valid points about not being able to trust everyone who says they have the answer. Just because some products don't help you however, does not mean that all products don't help. I think a one sided approach to any arguement is a tool used when someone is trying to sell you someting. The idea that we should always trust the government is absurd. I think Brian dunning kind of tells his audience to blindly trust what our government tells us. I prefer to ask questions. I would rather look into a conspiracy and find nothing than to not look when something was there.
ReplyDeleteBrian Dunning had a few interesting points of view but also opened my eyes. He was pretty one sided on his points of view but everyone is allowed to have there own opinion. There are alot of get rich scams out there that try to convince people of quick solutions that have no medical evidence to back them up.I also think that the mind is a very powerful thing and sometimes if you believe in something so positive it just might happen. As far as trusting the government, there are two many people out there that always have there own personal agendas on file and in my opinion they always end up in government.
ReplyDeleteIn the film there were many examples for the fallacy of ambiguity. One of these was that Brian Dunning said "don't believe everything that you hear from others with strong beliefs". Many people believe that the government has alot of secrets that have not been solved yet. One of these is Area 51 and the 1950 crash in Roswell New Mexico. To this very day people still don't know what happened there.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of people in this world that feel their beliefs are the only answer. They will do anything they can to convince you to feel the same way so that they are the "right one" and anyone who does not agree is "wrong". In my eyes, Brian Dunning is one of these types of people. There will always be situations like this, on every level of society having to do with every subject imaginable. Look at the endless amounts of infomercials on television and the obsurd claims that they make. Celebrities get paid ridiculous amounts of money to be spokespersons for organizations that you wouldn't think twice about if it was an average citizen. The point is, we are all entitled to our own opinions, and at the end of the day, we need to exercise our critical thinking skills to come up with an answer that satisfies our inner selves, and hopefully the answer we come up with does not cause harm to our fellow man.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the documentary by Brian Dunning, I was definitely intrigued to know more about where he came from and how and why he developed the viewpoints he has. One fallacy of ambiguity that really stuck out to me was fallacy of division. Fallacy of division is an erroneous inference from the characteristics of an entire set or group about a member of that group or set. Brian Dunning talked a lot about the medical profession and professionals within the medical institution. He stated that today a lot of things have become corrupt and people of these institutions were just out to get money and have some other intention when they put on the “white lab coat”. I think there is corruption in almost everything and you need to use your best judgment to decide where it exists and where it doesn’t. Brian Dunning grouped all these individuals (medical professionals) together describing them with all the same negative characteristics. This is fallacy of ambiguity and more specifically fallacy of division.
ReplyDeleteIn philosophy 250 I watched a Brian Dunning show called “Here be the dragons.” I believe that he made some good points in the movie and bad ones. I liked that he talked about infomercials and the products that they sell. I liked how he pointed out that most of the products were fraud and didn’t work like they said. I like how he showed the different ways that infomercials make you think that the product works but pointed out that anyone can make it look like it is the real deal. I like how he showed himself with a lab coat on and in a school room and pointed out that anyone can do these things to make it look convincing to people.
ReplyDelete"Here by Dragons" is basically a hidden mystery for writers. the scams that different products are proved to have just should show people that others have to make money some how, and could care less what bad things can happend from their uses. Brian Dunning expressed his criteria well, but with major humor. The "Red Herrings" are the distractions away from the actual answer to a certain question. You can relate to the arguments in the world today with hidden conspiracys of the government, ect. Something can be so bad, that lying or shading away from expected answers of the people can create major issues.
ReplyDeleteBetween the video and the readings it just seems like everything they were complaining about they were doing the same thing. Just trying to get us to agree with what they were saying. How can you say how bad something is at the same time stating the complete oppisite. To me it seems like they are just trying to make money and have a few facts in the mix. You can not sit there and say one is bad when you are saying that the other has a point. Its like they are just two faced. But to each their own opinion.
ReplyDeleteI think that Brian Hastings makes some good points in the film but is overall a very paranoid.I would agree with some of the statements he made but not all. He made me think more about some things that everything has two sides and not everything is one sided. He stated that precognition is nothing more than a pseudoscience and i dont agree with that. I believe there is alot of stuff governments dont tell us or want the general public to know for fear of widespread panic. There are alot of conspiracy theories and most can be written off as garbage but a small majority of them should be looked into more by the public and should be stood up stood up for if the truth is to ever come out.
ReplyDeleteBrian Dunnings "Here be dragons" documentary, I found to be that of his personal opinion on things that he discussed. Yes he did make some good points that people belive in the unbelievable, but who are we to judge? We as individuals may believe in things that are uncanny and unbelieveable ourselves so why is it that a person cannot have their own beliefs without being shamed by doing so. If a 93 year old lady believes that 2.00 wrinkle cream from the corner drug store really help her look younger..then who are we to judge? I do feel that companies take things a bit too far to get people to believe that their products work, but yet again no one is twisting anyones arm to buy it either.
ReplyDeleteIn "Here Be Dragons",Brian Dunning talks about the fallacies of psuedosciences. As humans we want answers to problems that are simple. This causes some to blindly follow claims those who have the illusion as authority, for example the fake degree or the labcoat. Some of the things he claimed that were "red flags" I didn't agree with however. Fish oil has been proven by science to be beneficial and is rich Omega 3 fatty acids which are crucial in maintaining a healthy heart. I don't think he's trying to sway anyone to his side, but to think critically about some new idea put forth. Real science moves forward for the greater good, while ancient science is hinders better answers to problem. We need to find our own answers and not buy into the hype of things too good to be true.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the show on "Here be Dragons" I felt that Brian Dunning made some good points. For example, people being easily pursuaded to by products that may not work; All companies care about are to make a profit and not care about the side effects a product may have on a person who buys it. He made a good point about thereputic groups; If someone had an illness, it does not mean that a person is going to be cured from the therapy. Some bad points Dunning made was his group experiments. I felt that he choose those people instead of randomly choosing them to be part of his study. He should of done more reserach and choose more people and randomly.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most interesting fallacies in Dunnings documentary was how so many people believe that they need antibiotics when they are sick even though their doctor tells them that the antibiotics won't work for their condition. Many people will still insist on taking the medicine even after a trained physician tells them that it is useless. Seems like people just want to believe in what they want to believe in with no regard for evidence.
ReplyDeleteIn this movie "Here By The Dragon" i feel as though Brian Dunning was right. He explain that people feel like they need something when in reality they do not. They can have a doctor who is trained in medicine tell them they do not need a drug, but in these patients head they still feel like they need it to get through the day. He did a good job explaining that and he also did a great job explaining how people buy things to buy them they do not look at the health affects it may have on them. People put products out all the time but who really looks into them to see if they are actually a real product and no just a lie. I can wear a lab coat and market a medicine but does that really make me a doctor. And brian dunning did a great job proving that theroy.
ReplyDeleteI think that Brian Dunning's video seemed very cocky and one sided. But I have to consider that he must have practiced some ambiguity by doing the research and looking into different points of view on the various subjects. Although I have the feeling he went into such research hoping to disprove it. I think his failure at ambiguity was ultimately in his conclusions. He treated hgis findings like solid facts and expected us to believe it. One example was accupuncture which was briefly shown in his discussion of homeopathic remedies. Whether or not relief from such procedure is scientifically proven or not, it is not for him to say it didn't help the person who walked out of that office feeling better. Maybe it was all in their head, but if it works for them and quite possibly others, its an effective remedy. This guy makes money off of people reading and believing his books, obviously he needs us to believe what he says...true or not.
ReplyDeleteIn this movie "Here By The Dragon" by Brian Dunning was ok. I thought he had some good points and some bad ones. I liked how he talked about the different products and how some of them are scams. I guess nowadays you never know if the product your buying is real or not. Brian Dunning also had a good point proving that you can wear a lab coat and market a medicne but that really doesn't make you a doctor.
ReplyDeleteJamie Ukleya
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how before we watched this video we talked about cults and how they present certain information but not all of it to reel people in. I found this video to be completely biased and persuasive. Yes there are some things out there that may be considered silly to other people and a scam to others and in most cases they really are. I just found it convenient that he used science to disprove some of the herbal cures and remedies but didn't show how science can prove that some of them work. Like how raw apple cider vinegar id scientifically proven to relieve acid reflux, it's all about the acid levels of your stomach. And what about meditation, energy, and ancient Chinese practices? Well last time i checked people had the right to their beliefs and practices without being called "silly, nonsense" or claiming that smart people should know better. He was awfully hell bent on pushing his agenda which completely put me off.
it was kind of hard to understand because he changed his story a few time and he changed the reasonings a few times. basically you believe in what you believe in and no one should try to change your mind about it.
ReplyDeletei thought the movie "Here Be Dragons" by Brian Dunning was ok but i dont think it showed enough of both sides or both opinions. i also think it was a little confusing because he talked in circles.
ReplyDeleteIn the film, "Here Be Dragons" by Brian Dunning, Dunning made some good points about the un-truness of some of the herbal remedies and cures that are on the market right now. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion but, for myself, I agreed with a lot of what Dunning was talking about. A lot of times, people go to the doctor expecting their physician to automatically give them an antibiotic when really...they don't need anything. They will then go online looking up some far out there possible "disease or sickness" and find some herbal remidie to cure the common cold. In reality, those herbal remedies could have side effects.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Minogue
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video "Here Be Dragons" I felt that it was mainly his opinion and he was talking around in circles so I really didn't like the video too much. I did like one of the points that he had metioned about how companies persuade people to buy there products even if they might not work like alot of the body cleanse treatments or the diet products. All they care about is money and don't care about the people waisting there money to buy it.
This Documentary I found very interesting Brian Dunning made logical sense out of mythological statements. This could be a positive and negative factor for many because it interferes with invidual beliefs. However Dunning explains how the grass is greener on the other side. For example as americans we believe that staying fit and healthy is very important and that the best solution is Organic Foods. Dunning explains that NOT everything organic is healthy and that we spend an large amount of money for this informal fallacy. Man-made foods actually provides us with the essential vitamins and minerials we expect from Organic foods. I believe that many people live in denial and Dunning helps people realize the truth in some situations, I dont fully agree with everything Dunning speaks about but I find majority of it very informative.
ReplyDeleteIn the Film "There Be Dragons" Brian Dunning discussed many different fallacies and how different
ReplyDeletecompanies use fallacies to take advantage of people and get them to buy their product.In a way
i feel that the movie was a fallacy in itself because he only showed you his opinions and didn't
neccarely back up the information which is told. Yes there are many fallacies out there to take
advantage of people but it is also very possible that their are things that do work which have been
labled as fallacies. Really many of these ideas are the opinions of different people but I do agree
that there are many "fake" products on the market that try to gain profit by tricking uninformed
individuals.
After watching “Here Be Dragons” you can assume that Brian Dunning was very one-sided on his feelings about products that he felt they are all false ads. I do agree with him on most of them, but not everything is fake science. The products that can improve your health should be FDA approved and you should stay away from any diet pills that make you lose weight fast. Good eating habits and exercise is the only way to lose weight the proper way. I also believe that some of the plans like yoga for example can reduce stress and help against future health problems.
ReplyDeleteI found "Here Be Dragons" interesting and informative. The one thing that stood out for me was when he discussed that any one get put something on the market without FDA approval. I also found the part where he referred to all the so called miracle cures that are out there. I suppose if your one that is easily persuaded, you will believe anything that sounds good. The sad part is people fall victim to scams every day.
ReplyDelete"Here be dragons" opened my eyes a bit. I enjoyed the film but am puzzled to see if I look at things with open optomism. I totally beleived the entire film but then when someone made a comment( and rightfully so) about it not being an everyone belief this shocked me. I realized that critical thinking is deep not just surface or what someone wants you to see.
ReplyDeleteIn the film “Here Be Dragons,” Brian Dunning explains to us what pseudoscience is and how to use your critical thinking skills to avoid being scammed. He believes you should only appreciate reality-based benefits offered by real science. Dunning shows us examples of different products that most people may buy, and then shows us that there is no scientific proof on how the product works. He says if the mass media promotes an item then others will be more likely to purchase the product. I believe that Dunning is on the right path when it comes to only believing in things that can be proven scientifically. But on the other hand I still believe in things like religion and the supernatural.
ReplyDeleteIn the film “Here be Dragons” I believe Dunning does a good job finding pseudoscience and fallacies. He states how many things that believe in, are fake, or do not have scientific proof to back up their findings. However I do believe in having faith and having an optimistic view in something when others find fault. Dunning talks about how religion, horoscopes, palm reading, and numerology are all pseudoscience. However when he gives compelling arguments that make these things seem unbelievable and fake, he does not give current reasons to why people believe in them besides the fact that they are ancient and have been around so long.
ReplyDeleteMichael Gillette
ReplyDeleteI think that "Here be Dragons" was a very controversial movie. I feel that he was one sided and he did not look at everyones points of view. I like what he said about the drugs, and the lab coat example but he has alot of opinion based facts.
it was very good at the fact it proved some points. science can not be explained just proven
ReplyDeleteTameka Jessmore
ReplyDeleteAfter watching "Here be Dragons" I was disappointed. I felt as if Brian Dunning had one train of thought for each company out there. I think most of it was just his opinion. He only had one thought process and different look at the different viewpoints. Some of his thought processes were very informational, like a product getting on the market without FDA approval but he didn't look at it from both sides. What about the different viewpoints?
Brian Dunning presents this information in the film Here be Dragons, in a way to make you think things are not the way they really are. People put things on the market knowing that they do not work to steal peoples money. Brian Dunning made it very clear that you can put whatever you want on the market and make people believe that it works. I thought this film was very interesting and made me think twice about buying certain things..
ReplyDeleteIn watching "Here by the Dragons", Brian Dunning presents alot of information. Brian was came acroos as a very one sided person and didn't take a look at other peoples viewpoints on things. Even though I do agree with him for the most part, not everything is "fake".
ReplyDeletein "here be dragons" brian dunning talked a lot about fallacies that occur in life. people pretending to be scientist and giving their products celebrity endorsement so people are more likely to by the product. i agee that there are many things in life that are simply placebos and nothing more. but there are also vitimins that have been proven by real doctors that they are good for you. Brian Dunning is just trying to make people think. i dont think he was trying to get anyone "come to his side" or think the way he thinks. he just wants to inform people.
ReplyDeleteThe movie was a bit confusing just because he talked in circles. People are easly influenced by certain things. Some people want to believe what the hear and see. Personally I don't try anything they try to sell on T.V, how do you know what is really in the product.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he made some very good points about how the media alters truths to gain profits i feel there were some things he went a little over board on. Things such as religion and beliefes are typically left to the believers and not out about trying to gain money. I feel if you dont have reliegion or soem sort of a beliefe system you are more likely to fall into fallicies.
ReplyDeleteI don’t really completely agree with Dunning. I think there are things out there that might not be FDA approved or scientifically proven, but they are still true. I do think that people will tend more to believe people that are in uniform over regularly dressed folk. And I think that certain people are just into everything having to be proven to believe it, but then comes the question if those people believe in like Santa Clause, or God even?
ReplyDeleteI think that Brian Dunning contradicts himself too much in the film. He is criticising people for what they believe in and that is not having an open mind to others opinions and viewpoints. Religion and beliefs are not about making money, but a belief that makes them feel like they have something to live for. I think fallacies are everywhere. From television advertisements.
ReplyDeleteIn the film, I also feel that there were too many contradictions. I find it hard to agree with much the movie says, as it is a fallacy itself! Some people need others to tell them what is OK, and what to do about certain situations. Yes, fallacies are terrible and a waste of time, but I think that not everyone can be an expert on every subject and may need guidance.
ReplyDeleteIn class we had watched “Here be Dragons” by Brain Dunning. He states that you should not believe everything you hear or may even see which is different then what we were taught. I was always told believe what you see not what you hear. I have different option about believing into ghost a people that can see into the future. But I he even said that you cannot believe people on TV that want to sell you something. Just because they are in a lab coat does not mean that he is a doctor. I guess I will have to do more research before I just go and take the word of a doctor. What is this world coming to when we could not even trust doctors to do the right things
ReplyDeleteAmbiguity is the gey area in life. There are things in life that aren't black and white. These circumastances depend on whether or not you make a decision on a fallacy. Pduedosciences deal witrh fallacies and shows the falseness in pseudosciences and the ambiguity in them.
ReplyDelete