Fallacies : classical and contemporary readings /

This anthology concerns fallacies in reasoning. It includes a number of classics: thinkers Aristotle, Arnauld, Whately, John Stuart Mill, and others. A section is devoted to essays dealing with more recent theory, including arguments on whether a general theory is even possible, followed by essays dealing with various particular fallacies, including begging the question, the appeal to authority, equivocation, and post hoc ergo propter hoc. The volume concludes with two essays dealing with the place of fallacies in the teaching of critical thinking. The selection of classical sources is reasonable, and the more recent essays are generally well written. Except for the classical readings, the essays will not appeal to undergraduates in courses on informal logic; the intended audience for the volume seems to be those interested in the theory and teaching of fallacies who want a nice and compact introduction to the state of the art. For these it is quite a satisfactory collection. Good bibliography. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty. F. Wilson University of Toronto