Lesson 29: False Equivalence

Spot the Faulty Logic #

“My friend forgot my birthday, and you’re saying that’s not as bad as when someone robbed a store? Both are wrong, so they’re equally bad!”

Discussion: Talk with your teacher about this example. Are all wrongs really equal?

How/Why It’s Often Used #

People use this fallacy to make something seem better by comparing it to something worse, or to make something seem worse by equating it with something more serious. It’s also used in media to appear “balanced” - presenting two sides as equally valid when one has much more evidence than the other.

This reasoning can make minor problems seem as serious as major ones, or make major problems seem as minor as trivial ones. It distorts our ability to judge the relative importance of issues.

False Equivalence in Action #

Did you spot the faulty logic? #

While both forgetting a birthday and robbery are “wrong” in some sense, they’re vastly different in severity, impact, and moral weight. Lumping them together as equivalent ignores crucial differences.

Second Example #

“Some scientists doubt climate change, and other scientists support it. So we should give equal weight to both sides.”

The Flaw #

When 97% of climate scientists support human-caused climate change and 3% are skeptical, treating both positions as equally valid misrepresents the state of scientific knowledge. Numbers, evidence quality, and expert consensus matter.