Fallacy of Exhaustive Logic

The mistaken belief that only exhaustive logical analysis—examining every possible inference, anticipating every objection, proving every step—can establish truth. This fallacy rejects any reasoning that falls short of logical perfection, demanding standards that are impossible to meet and therefore never satisfied. The Fallacy of Exhaustive Logic is beloved of those who want to dismiss arguments without engaging them, who can always find one more logical step that hasn't been explicitly justified. It's the logic of "you haven't considered every possibility, so your conclusion is premature"—a standard that, if applied consistently, would halt all reasoning forever.

Example: "She presented a well-reasoned argument for her proposal. He responded with the Fallacy of Exhaustive Logic: 'But you haven't considered every possible objection. What about X? What about Y? What about Z?' Each was addressed, and he found another. Exhaustive logic was impossible; therefore, her argument was never good enough. The fallacy had done its work: preventing decision through infinite demand."

Fallacy of Exhaustive Logic by Dumu The Void February 18, 2026