Proof by example (also known as inappropriate generalization) is a logical fallacy whereby one or more examples are claimed as "proof" for a more general statement.
This fallacy has the following structure, and argument form:
Structure:
Argument form:
The following example demonstrates why this is a logical fallacy:
The flaw in this argument is very evident, but arguments of the same form can sometimes seem somewhat convincing, as in the followin...
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Proof by example (also known as inappropriate generalization) is a logical fallacy whereby one or more examples are claimed as "proof" for a more general statement.
This fallacy has the following structure, and argument form:
Structure:
Argument form:
The following example demonstrates why this is a logical fallacy:
The flaw in this argument is very evident, but arguments of the same form can sometimes seem somewhat convincing, as in the following example:
However, argument by example is valid when it leads from a singular premise to an existential conclusion. For example:
(or)
This is an informal version of the logical rule known as existential introduction (also known as particularisation or existential generalization).
Formally
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