Lesson 22: No True Scotsman

Spot the Faulty Logic #

Person A: “All real gamers prefer PC over console.” Person B: “But my friend loves console gaming and he’s been gaming for 20 years.” Person A: “Well, then he’s not a REAL gamer.”

Discussion: Talk with your teacher about this example. What’s wrong with how Person A responds to the counterexample?

How/Why It’s Often Used #

When someone makes a broad claim about a group (“All X are Y”) and is presented with a counterexample, they might try to save their claim by excluding the counterexample from the group. Instead of admitting their original claim was too broad, they change what counts as being part of the group.

The name comes from a famous example: “No Scotsman puts sugar in his porridge.” “But my uncle Angus is Scottish and he puts sugar in his.” “Well, no TRUE Scotsman puts sugar in his porridge.”

No True Scotsman in Action #

Did you spot the faulty logic? #

When presented with a long-time gamer who prefers console, Person A simply excluded them from the category of “real gamers” rather than admitting their original claim was too broad. The definition of “real gamer” is being manipulated to protect a false generalization.

Second Example #

“All serious athletes wake up early to train.” “Michael is a serious athlete who competes nationally, and he trains in the evenings.” “Then he’s not a TRULY serious athlete.”

The Flaw #

Michael’s competitive status is evidence he IS a serious athlete. Redefining “serious athlete” to exclude him just protects a claim that was too broad to begin with.