Talk:Fallacy of division
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"One might also reason that, because the apple is not poisonous none of its constituents are. Again one would be committing the fallacy of division. Apple pips contain a form of cyanide."
Might one not safely reason, however, that none of the constituents of an apple that one actually EATS is poisonous?!
No. When I swallow a few apple seeds, it's harmless -- the amount of cyanide is so tiny that its effect is not noticable. But cyanide is, of course, poisonous in larger quantities. -- DavidCary 16:29, 24 Apr 2004 (UTC)
"A fallacy of division occurs when someone reasons logically that something that is true of a thing must also be true of its constituents."
Are there different names for
- the fallacy of assuming something is true for *all* of its constituents
- the fallacy of assuming something is true for *at least one* of its constituents
?