Question 2

2) Why do we avoid what I call “audience fallacies” and “authorial fallacies” in our writing? Define each, provide a brief example of each, and explain the significance. (50-75 words)

“Audience fallacies” are when an author makes an assumption about the target audience, when the target audience is not directly stated. And example would be “Cosmopolitan magazine targets young, pretty girls.” Well, unless Cosmopolitan directly stated that they target that group, then it cannot be stated as such.

“Authorial fallacies” are when you make a statement on behalf of a group of people who might not all have that view, or have any of that view at all. It is essentially when you are acting as a spokesperson for people of whom you can’t possibly know the opinions and thoughts. An example would be when you say something like “society want you to think that…” or “our culture depicts that…”

We try to avoid these fallacies when we write our papers because they show us as making assumptions that aren’t based on fact. Also, you can’t speak for a group of people “i.e., “society”) when not everyone has a voice in this assumption. By avoiding these fallacies we can give a more accurate and unbiased view of the topic.