paralogism

American  

[puh-ral-uh-jiz-uhm] / pəˈræl əˌdʒɪz əm /

noun

Logic.

1. argument violating principles of valid reasoning.

2. a conclusion reached through such argument.

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paralogism British  

/ pəˈræləˌdʒɪzəm /

noun

1. logic psychol an argument that is unintentionally invalid Compare sophism

2. any invalid argument or conclusion

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Other Word Forms

• paralogist noun
• paralogistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of paralogism

1555–65; < Late Latin paralogismus < Greek paralogismós. See para- ¹, logo-, -ism

Example Sentences

I certainly agree to all the rest with you, but Aristotle's law I think involves a paralogism, for by this argument the heavens should be immobile since they are in a place fitting their nature.

From The gradual acceptance of the Copernican theory of the universe by Stimson, Dorothy

The logical paralogism consists in the falsity of an argument in respect of its form, be the content what it may.

From The Critique of Pure Reason by Meiklejohn, John Miller Dow

First, it contains no paralogism, no logical or psychological error, since it does not advance the supposition that the mental differs by its nature from the physical phenomenon.

From The Mind and the Brain Being the Authorised Translation of L'Âme et le Corps by Binet, Alfred

The paralogism included in the very enunciation of the parallelist thesis is explained in a memoire presented to the Geneva International Philosophical Congress in 1904.

From A New Philosophy: Henri Bergson by Benson, Vincent

In this manner the paralogism has its foundation in the nature of human reason, and is the parent of an unavoidable, though not insoluble, mental illusion.

From The Critique of Pure Reason by Meiklejohn, John Miller Dow