Richard Lyon
Aug 22, 2017 · 1 min read

Averaging artefacts show up in “affirming the consequent” fallacies, such as the feminist patriarchy claim: “If you have power, then you are a man. You are a man. Therefore you have power” A small group of elite men have power. The ‘average’ power of the set comprising elite and non-elite men is higher. The ‘average’ power of individual non-elite men is low.

In that instance, the two failures of reasoning – the affirmation of the consequence fallacy, and the averaging fallacy – are the foundation of a whole political program devoted to enhancing the legal, economic, and social privileges of non-elite women relative to non-elite men.

)
Richard Lyon

Written by

Liberal egalitarian. Passive House owner. Traveller. Photographer.