You-Are-Biased Fallacy

The rhetorical move of accusing someone of being "biased" as a way of dismissing their arguments without engagement. The accusation positions the target as incapable of objectivity, their views as mere prejudice. The fallacy lies in using the accusation as a refutation—as if demonstrating bias (which you haven't actually demonstrated) proves the arguments are wrong. But biased people can make correct arguments; bias doesn't automatically invalidate claims. The accusation functions to avoid engagement by attacking the person's epistemic character.

"I presented evidence about the effectiveness of a social program. Response: 'You're clearly biased—you work in that field.' That's You-Are-Biased Fallacy. Maybe I am biased; that doesn't make the evidence wrong. Engage the evidence, or admit you're not interested. Using bias as a dismissal is just ad hominem with a social science vocabulary."

by Dumu The Void February 28, 2026

Logical Biases

Systematic distortions in reasoning that arise not from breaking logical rules but from the way logical systems themselves are constructed, selected, and applied. Unlike cognitive biases (which are psychological), Logical Biases are built into the logic we use—the assumptions that certain logical forms are universally valid, that classical logic is the only logic, that formal validity guarantees truth. Logical Biases include: preferring deductive over inductive reasoning even when deduction isn't appropriate; treating logical consistency as the highest virtue when life requires contradiction; assuming that what's logically possible is actually possible. Logical Biases are what happen when logic becomes ideology—when the tool becomes the master.

Logical Biases "He keeps demanding that my ethical argument be deductively valid. That's Logical Bias—applying deductive standards to ethics, which isn't deductive. His logic biases him against forms of reasoning that don't fit his logical framework. Logic should serve inquiry, not constrain it. When logic becomes a bias, it stops being logic."

by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Logic Biases

A variant of Logical Biases, emphasizing biases that affect how we use and evaluate logic itself. Logic Biases include: treating logic as neutral when it's culturally specific; assuming that logical skill equals intelligence; privileging logical argument over other forms of knowing; using logic as a weapon rather than a tool. Logic Biases are meta-biases—biases about logic, not just in logic. They shape who gets heard, what counts as reasonable, and which conclusions are considered valid.

Logic Biases "He thinks he's won every argument because he's 'more logical.' That's Logic Bias—treating his particular logical style as universal reason. But his logic is one logic among many, and his bias makes him blind to other ways of reasoning. Logic isn't a contest; it's a conversation. Logic biases turn conversation into combat."

by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Rational Biases

Systematic distortions that arise from the way rationality is defined, valued, and deployed in different contexts. Rational Biases include: assuming that rationality is universal rather than culturally specific; treating emotional responses as inherently irrational; privileging instrumental reason (means-end calculation) over other forms of reason; assuming that rational actors exist in economic theory; using "rational" as a term of approval rather than a description. Rational Biases shape not just how we think but how we judge thinking—in ourselves and others.

Rational Biases "She called his response 'emotional' and therefore irrational. That's Rational Bias—assuming emotion and reason are opposites. But emotions can be rational responses to situations; reason without emotion is calculation without wisdom. Rational biases make us miss the rationality in feeling and the feeling in rationality."

by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Reason Biases

The broadest category: biases that affect how reason itself is understood, valued, and practiced. Reason Biases include: treating reason as a faculty rather than a practice; assuming reason is separate from culture, history, or embodiment; privileging Western traditions of reason over others; using "reason" as a gatekeeping concept to exclude non-dominant ways of knowing. Reason Biases are what happen when reason becomes a possession rather than a process—something some have and others lack.

Reason Biases "He keeps saying 'just use reason' as if reason were simple, universal, available to all equally. That's Reason Bias—ignoring that reason is practiced differently in different traditions, that access to reason is shaped by power, that 'reason' often means 'my way of thinking.' Reason isn't a light switch; it's a lifetime of learning. Bias makes it a weapon."

by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Science Biases

Systematic distortions that arise from the way science is practiced, institutionalized, and understood. Science Biases include: publication bias (positive results get published, negative results don't); funding bias (research gets funded when it serves interests); confirmation bias in study design; bias toward what's measurable over what's meaningful; bias toward Western, educated, industrial, rich, democratic (WEIRD) populations; bias against null results, replication studies, or challenging paradigms. Science Biases don't mean science is wrong—they mean science is human, and humans have biases that shape what gets studied and what gets found.

Science Biases "Why do we know so much about drug effects and so little about nutrition? That's Science Bias—funding goes where profit is. Why do psychology studies use undergrads? That's Science Bias—convenience shapes knowledge. Science biases aren't conspiracies; they're structural. Recognizing them doesn't invalidate science—it makes science better."

by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Scientific Biases

Similar to Science Biases but emphasizing biases within scientific practice itself—the assumptions, preferences, and blind spots that scientists bring to their work. Scientific Biases include: theoretical bias (preferring data that fits your theory); methodological bias (preferring certain methods over others); career bias (pursuing publishable results over true ones); paradigm bias (resisting challenges to established frameworks). Scientific Biases are what Kuhn described—science isn't just data collection; it's human activity, with all the biases that entails.

Scientific Biases "He dismissed the findings because they didn't fit the dominant theory. That's Scientific Bias—paradigm protection dressed as rigor. Scientists are human; they have investments in theories, careers, reputations. Those investments bias what they see and what they accept. Good science acknowledges this; bad science pretends it doesn't happen."

by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026