This type of fallacy is a mix of the "hasty generalization" fallacy and the "association fallacy."
Village Idiot Fallacy: This fallacy occurs when Person A highlights a foolish argument made by Person B and criticizes it. Person A then wrongly assumes that anyone remotely associated with Person B also holds the same foolish belief. This fallacy is often applied to entire groups, especially in online discourse. The term "Village Idiot Fallacy" comes from the idea of pointing to the village idiot and then assuming the entire village shares his beliefs, illustrating guilt by association.
Hasty Generalization: This fallacy occurs when someone makes a broad generalization based on a small or unrepresentative sample. (Person A is making a generalization about a group of people based on the beliefs or actions of one individual, the "village idiot.")
Association Fallacy (Guilt by Association): This occurs when someone asserts that qualities of one thing are inherently qualities of another, merely by an irrelevant association. (Person A is claiming that the whole group shares the same beliefs and qualities of the "village idiot" simply because they are associated with him.)
Combining these concepts this is how "The Village Idiot Fallacy" manifests itself.
Village Idiot Fallacy: This fallacy occurs when Person A highlights a foolish argument made by Person B and criticizes it. Person A then wrongly assumes that anyone remotely associated with Person B also holds the same foolish belief. This fallacy is often applied to entire groups, especially in online discourse. The term "Village Idiot Fallacy" comes from the idea of pointing to the village idiot and then assuming the entire village shares his beliefs, illustrating guilt by association.
Hasty Generalization: This fallacy occurs when someone makes a broad generalization based on a small or unrepresentative sample. (Person A is making a generalization about a group of people based on the beliefs or actions of one individual, the "village idiot.")
Association Fallacy (Guilt by Association): This occurs when someone asserts that qualities of one thing are inherently qualities of another, merely by an irrelevant association. (Person A is claiming that the whole group shares the same beliefs and qualities of the "village idiot" simply because they are associated with him.)
Combining these concepts this is how "The Village Idiot Fallacy" manifests itself.
The Village Idiot Fallacy Example:
Person A: "Person B didn't recycle their plastic bottle after lunch. Can you believe that?"
Person A (later): "People from that apartment complex are so irresponsible. They're all like Person B, not caring about the environment at all."
Person A: "Person B didn't recycle their plastic bottle after lunch. Can you believe that?"
Person A (later): "People from that apartment complex are so irresponsible. They're all like Person B, not caring about the environment at all."
by ApplesPotatoGardner July 9, 2024
Get the The Village Idiot Fallacymug. Yo we apart of the villager organization
by Villager organization May 13, 2022
Get the Villager Organizationmug. The village troll in strict terms is a person locally known for ignorance or stupidity, but is also a common term for a stereotypically silly or nonsensical person or stock character. The term is also used as a stereotype of the mentally disabled. These types often make themselves feel important by instigating public figures to boost their ego. While they can be described as mentally challenged they are keen on attracting on other villagers to a circle jerk of idiocy.
by AliceBob August 8, 2018
Get the Village trollmug. by marlboro meister August 30, 2010
Get the The Wood Villagemug. Tommy from red dead redemption 2. The man was just trying to get the ruckus away from his bar and he got brain damage, but I mean Arthur is pretty cool so, it makes up for it
You're the village idiot, huh?
by Imbored9876 October 31, 2023
Get the The village idiotmug. A group of meth heads
by Vageta Namikaze July 31, 2019
Get the Shadow Villagemug. Collection of those little houses by kite hill on campus at Clemson. Contrary to popular belief, they are in fact the shit. Where the only truly finest live.
by Andy Teazle August 18, 2013
Get the Thughill Villagemug.