Flat Earth Equivalence Fallacy

The stronger fallacy of claiming that two positions are equivalent because both challenge some form of consensus, ignoring vast differences in evidence, reasoning, and scientific support. The flat Earth equivalence fallacy asserts that believing in climate change is like believing the Earth is flat because both "go against the mainstream," or that questioning vaccine safety is like questioning gravity because both involve skepticism. The fallacy ignores that skepticism is not a binary; it's a matter of evidence. Some consensus views are supported by overwhelming evidence; others are not. Equating them based on the formal similarity of "questioning consensus" is intellectually lazy and rhetorically manipulative. The equivalence fallacy is beloved of false balance journalism and concern trolling.

Flat Earth Equivalence Fallacy Example: "The pundit committed the flat Earth equivalence fallacy, saying that climate scientists were like flat Earthers because both were 'certain' about their views. The equivalence ignored that one certainty was backed by decades of research and global consensus, the other by YouTube videos and wishful thinking. False equivalence had replaced honest comparison."

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 16, 2026