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Suppressed correlative

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The logical fallacy of suppressed correlative is a type of argument which tries to redefine a correlative (two mutually exclusive options) so that one alternative encompasses the other, i.e. making one alternative impossible.

Examples:

Anne: "Ants are not small because they are large to bacteria."
Bill: "However, bacteria are small."
Anne: "No, because bacteria are large to viruses. Everything is large to something, so nothing is really small."
  • Well, I would give money to the poor, but I believe that the world is so wonderful and rich that nobody can really be poor.
  • All dogs are black when it is dark. Therefore, Lassie is a black dog because it is dark outside.

This type of fallacy is often used in conjunction with one of the fallacies of definition.

See also