A fallacy where someone argues that because an argument is logically valid (if premises true, conclusion must follow), it must therefore be sound (premises actually true). Or more commonly, using "that's not valid" to dismiss arguments that don't fit classical logical forms. The appeal is fallacious when it confuses formal validity with truth, or when it treats validity as the only criterion for good argument. An argument can be perfectly valid and completely false if its premises are wrong.
"I made an argument based on probability and context. Response: 'That's not logically valid!' They meant it didn't fit syllogistic form. But probabilistic arguments aren't supposed to be deductively valid—they're supposed to be inductively strong. Appeal to Validity: judging all arguments by standards that only apply to some."
by Dumu The Void February 28, 2026
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