1 definition by Papadopoulos
The assumption that because very few members of a group are powerful, therefore the rest of them must necessarily share that power too.
Example 1:
Jane: The top paid athletes in the USA are African-American, therefore all African-Americans athletes are richer than athletes of other racial backgrounds.
Joe: No, that's the Apex Fallacy: you are resourcing to the top outliers to make general assumptions regarding the specified population, that is, African-American athletes.
Example 2:
Jane: Men are 93% of the top 500 richest CEOs, therefore it is obvious that men in general are privileged.
Joe: No, that's the Apex Fallacy. Men are the majority of the unemployed and the homeless are nearly 80% male too. You can't derive conclusions regarding the whole based either on the top or lower outliers, but when you resource to the top outliers, you end up committing the Apex Fallacy. It would be wrong to infer that men are necessarily underprivileged because they are the majority of the poorer 1% too, that would be the Bottom Fallacy.
Jane: The top paid athletes in the USA are African-American, therefore all African-Americans athletes are richer than athletes of other racial backgrounds.
Joe: No, that's the Apex Fallacy: you are resourcing to the top outliers to make general assumptions regarding the specified population, that is, African-American athletes.
Example 2:
Jane: Men are 93% of the top 500 richest CEOs, therefore it is obvious that men in general are privileged.
Joe: No, that's the Apex Fallacy. Men are the majority of the unemployed and the homeless are nearly 80% male too. You can't derive conclusions regarding the whole based either on the top or lower outliers, but when you resource to the top outliers, you end up committing the Apex Fallacy. It would be wrong to infer that men are necessarily underprivileged because they are the majority of the poorer 1% too, that would be the Bottom Fallacy.
by Papadopoulos December 11, 2014