What a logical fallacy is the statement “A father and mother do not guarantee good parenting”?
peace,
Every so often I encounter an argument from those who “don’t see a problem” with two fathers, saying that having a father and a mother doesn’t guarantee good parenting, and that there is evidence of abuse in the family, etc.
I feel, of course, that this is a stupid claim. It’s like saying that you can buy fruit that hasn’t been sprayed at all because even fruit that has been sprayed may have pests inside, but I don’t know technically what this claim is called. Does it have a name?
If you’re talking about the inference, it is indeed invalid. But the very claim (that two fathers are less good parents) needs to be examined on its merits. I called it the “law of small numbers” (but that’s my name). See column 38. Daniel Kahneman has names for these fallacies (various representational fallacies. Search the Internet).
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