Analyzing Logical Flaws in Conspiracy Theories

Logical Fallacies in Arguments

1. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (False Cause)

The documentary suggests that because certain events happened beforehand (for example, military exercises on the same day or NORAD failures), they caused or prove the existence of a conspiracy. 📖 The document defines this fallacy as mistaking temporal sequence for causation. Essential fallacies essentially…

• 💡 Example: “There were military drills on 9/11, therefore those drills were designed to make the attacks possible.”

2. Ad Ignorantiam (Appeal to Ignorance)

The film argues that “since it hasn’t been proven that explosives weren’t used, then they must have been.” 📖 This fallacy assumes that lack of disproof is proof. Essential fallacies essentially…

• 💡 Example: “No one has proven explosives weren’t used in WTC 7, therefore they were.”

3. False Dilemma (False Dichotomy)

The argument is reduced to two options: either you believe the official version, or you accept the conspiracy. 📖 This fallacy oversimplifies complex realities into binary options. Essential fallacies essentially…

• 💡 Example: “Either you believe the government is lying, or you’re naïve.”

Cognitive Biases at Play

1. Confirmation Bias

The filmmakers select only the evidence that supports their conspiracy hypothesis while ignoring contradictory data. 📖 The document explains that this bias makes us see only what we expect to see, filtering out information that doesn’t fit our mental model. Logic - cognitive biases.

• 💡 Example: Only featuring engineers who question the official story, while omitting NIST’s detailed reports.

2. Illusory Correlation

The film infers nonexistent causal links, such as claiming that the vertical collapse of the towers proves a controlled demolition. 📖 This bias occurs when people perceive a cause-effect relationship where none exists, based on coincidental patterns. Logic - cognitive biases.

• 💡 Example: “The towers collapsed like demolitions → therefore, they were demolished.”

3. Availability Bias

The documentary overestimates the likelihood of a conspiracy because the images of the collapse are vivid and emotionally charged. 📖 This bias makes memorable or emotionally intense events seem more probable or representative than they really are. Logic - cognitive biases.

• 💡 Example: “The explosions look real in the videos, so it must have been a demolition.”