(also known as: homunculus argument, infinite regress) Description: An argument that accounts for a phenomenon in terms of the very phenomenon that it is supposed to explain, which results in an infinite regress. OK, … Despite assertions from many mathematicians, the word "infinity" is actually meaningless. And there is no end to it. Infinite regress is one of the many smokescreens that are used to cover the fact that the reasoning is based on one of the three fallacies of Agrippa's trilemma. Alias: The Regressive Fallacy 1 Taxonomy: Logical Fallacy > Informal Fallacy > Non Causa Pro Causa > The Regression Fallacy Etymology: To "regress" is to go back, or revert to an earlier or more primitive state. For example, in mathematics we can think of a series of numbers without end: …–3,–2,–1,0,1,2,3 . [3], In the Eastern Bloc, homunculus has referred to attempts to remold people to be "without sexual, high intellectual or high emotional 'centres'". An infinite regress is where the validity of one proposition (A) depends on the validity of another (B), and the validity of B depends on C, infinitely down the line. Instead I've seen him defend the Big Bang theory with the "Something … The second ring of the doorbell could just as well have been … This creator must be complex in order to have created something complex. All human thought (without Divine revelation) is based on one of three unhappy possibilities. I've read one arguer that claimed it was a fallacy due to the arguments for … For example Aquinas … You could say another god ad infinitum, which is essentially what the regressive explanation for the origin of the universe does. Well, it just is. Reason Y is given. Whether all things must have a "first cause" or not, is a subject of debate. (However the argument doesn't prove or set out to prove the God of Classical Theism.) This is the wrong way around. The fallacy is a causation fallacy and an informal fallacy. G. E. Moore maintained that "good" is an indefinable primitive, especially that it cannot be defined as something in the natural world, such as Bentham's pleasure, Mill's utility, the evolutionary theorists's survival, or even life itself.To identify good with something natural is called Moore's naturalistic fallacy. Infinite Regression versus Causality Because infinite regression is a fallacy, the fact that quantum mechanics isn't entirely deterministic should be completely unsurprising. These three possibilities are infinite regression, circular reasoning, or axiomatic thinking. Why does an electron exist? Causal infinite regress is featured in the uncaused cause and cosmological argument. If the reasons count as knowledge, they must themselves be justified with reasons for the reasons, and so on, ad infinitum. a fallacy in which the argument proposes an explanation, but the mechanism proposed stands just as much in need of explanation as the original fact to be explained — and indeed it stands in need of the same kind of explanation. Yes. The fallacy is a causation fallacy and an informal fallacy. Infinity is a logical fallacy. The fallacy of Infinite Regress occurs when this habit lulls us into accepting an explanation that turns out to be itterative, that is, the mechanism involved depends upon itself for its own explanation. Infinite regress definition is - an endless chain of reasoning leading backward by interpolating a third entity between any two entities. Another possible response to the Münchhausen trilemma is to appeal to yet more premises; that is, when someone asks the realist, “how do you know reality exists independently of the mind,” the realist can produce an infinite regression of premises. An evolutionist wanted to debate his creationist friend. The creationist answered again. (This is what the argument is postulating). 1 A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. We don’t add unproven claims on the way to the conclusion, and the premise must prove that the conclusion is true. If the truth of a premise P1 is proven by premise P2, and the truth of premise P2 is proven by premise P3, and this pattern continues without being resolved, this is infinite regress. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and … so it is tempting to apply the explanation to itself. This went on for over an hour, which a tribute to this evolutionist. It is a relevant in the discussion of Kalam. File:Infinite regress of homunculus.png. – sol acyon Dec 31 '15 at 11:09. Ix) reads "there exists an x such that x is a number and x is infinite," and is a supposition for the sake of argument. In folklore and in literature, homunculus often refers to a miniature fully-formed human. Fallacies of relevance are fallacies which are due to a lack of a relevant logical connection between premise and conclusion. Most people don't want to reveal their true reasoning, not even to themselves. Infinite Regression is a term that has come up in the Evolution/Intelligent Design debate. This raises the question of what set the original chain in motion--in short, what was the "first cause." Just because. An infinite universe dissolves this causal regression This page was last modified on 14 May 2020, at 16:35. This video will example you the infinite regression fallacy. Proof of Infinite Regression's Fallacy The starting guess is that infinite regression is a contradiction, and like all contradictions assuming it is true results in finding that you can use it to prove anything. They can never rationally claim that there are laws of logic or laws of nature. In Dawkins' 'The God Delusion', he says God almost certainly doesn't exist due to infinite regress. http://www.theaudiopedia.com What is REGRESSION FALLACY? Some people saythat Intelligent Design is an example of infinite regression. . The creationist didn't want to debate but agreed to discuss. Infinite regress is one of the many smokescreens that are used to cover the fact that the reasoning is based on one of the three fallacies of Agrippa's trilemma. One method to stop this infinite regression is to assume that life does not need a creator. He states, “They [cosmological arguments] make the entirely unwarranted assumption that God himself is immune to the regress.” 1. It can't be infinite because that would create an infinite regression of causation, which is a fallacy and therefore impossible, which leaves us with a finite universe that needs a cause. (b) The Fallacy of Infinite Regression (c) The Fallacy of Composition 2 Hume attacking the link between causes and effects (a) You cannot see the link between causes and effect but we assume it based on what we have observed to happen in our past experience (b) Habit makes us link cause and effect together A frequently quoted example reported in 1973 by the Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman (born 1934) and Amos Tversky (1937–96) comes from the experience of flying instructors. This series of numbers could continue positively and negatively forever. This series of numbers could continue positively and negatively forever. Contents. This raises the question of what set the original chain in motion—in short, what was the "first cause." He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. He suggests that God is part of the chain, so he would need to be part of an infinite regression. Source: Aristotle refers to the impossibility of an infinite regress in his proof of the unmoving mover (Physics, 8.1). The important thing here is that it's being claimed that asserting there is an infinite number of explanatory events is inherently fallacious – in particular this preacher asserted that it's a "vicious infinite regress," which I can only satisfactorily define as a regression that posits new explanations to account for a cause, explanations that themselves require explanations. Also applies to constructing objects out of particles; … Science is also limited to the pragmatic because of the weakness on human reasoning, which is known as Agrippa's trilemma. Then, he blurted out, "I guess I'm making the whole thing up.". This does hold in a Secularist worldview. Some people saythat Intelligent Design is an example of infinite regression. What is clear to me is that no one can PROVE either the existence of God or matter with out cause with any rational bulletproof argument. Many of you, I think, I have heard of the argument against infinite regression. An infinite regress arises when we ask what are the justifications for the reasons themselves. An example that has been used to explain the problem is that of the soldier waiting for orders to fire. This problem is known as Agrippa's trilemma. This isn't an infinite regress. A regression fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when an extreme value of some randomly varying event (something exceptional) is accepted as the normal value, and so when the value regresses to the mean, this change is believed to have been caused by some other event.. The simplification of the argument is the following: Anything complex must have been created by something with intelligence. The point of infinite regression is … It occurs in some philosophical concepts and is sometimes considered an unwanted or absurd implication. http://www.theaudiopedia.com What is REGRESSION FALLACY? Infinite regression is one of the three possible invalid basis for secularist thinking, the other two are circular reasoning and assumption. Aristotle says that if a number is truly infinite, it can't be traversed because the end of the number can't ever be reached. The argument is based on many unsupported premises relating to free will, consciousness, animacy, being alive, having a nervous system, and existing, and their relationship to rights (right to ___ needs to … It isn't even infinite. An example that has been used to explain the problem is that of the soldier waiting for orders to fire. The Regression Fallacy. The Münchhausen Trilemma, sometimes called Agrippa's … then what created god? If there is a first cause, that event necessarily must come from itself or from nothing in order to break the chain. However, there came a time when the creationist asked, "And what convinces you of that?" The point of infinite regression is that it never provides any proof that does not itself need to be proved, so it appears to present evidence, yet the evidence is never shown to be valid. Explore discussion on the topic - Is the paradox of infinite regress a fallacy? Logical Fallacy of Infinite Regress / Homunculus Argument, The Logical Fallacy of Unsubstantiated Inference, Logical Fallacy of Appeal to Worldview / Appeal to Fake-Reality / Appeal to Paradigm / Appeal to Confirmation Bias, Fantasy Projection / Worldview Projection / Fake-Reality Projection / Paradigm Projection / Context Projection, The Logical Fallacy ofAmazing Familiarity, Stolen Concept Fallacy / Smuggled Concept Fallacy, Logical Fallacy of Proof by Theoretical Stories, The Logical Fallacy of Anecdotal Evidence Presented as Scientific Evidence / Personal Testimony Presented as Scientific Evidence, Logical Fallacy of Dismissing All Personal Testimony, Logical Fallacy of Rewriting History / Have it Your Way, Logical Fallacy of Argument from Personal Incredulity / Personal Belief / Personal Conviction, Logical Fallacy of Argument by Lack of Imagination, Logical Fallacy of Argument by Imagination, The Logical Fallacy of Capturing the Naive / Argumentum ad Captandum / Argumentum ad Captandum Vulgus, Logical Fallacy of Argument from Personal Astonishment, Logical Fallacy of Unintended Self-Inclusion, Logical Fallacy of Proof by Assertion / Proof by Repeated Assertion, Logical Fallacy of Proof by Understatement / Misunderstanding by Understatement, Logical Fallacy of Proof by Logical Tautology, Logical Fallacy of Proof by False Declaration of Victory, Logical Fallacy of Assumption Correction Assumption, False Criteria Fallacy / Fallacy of Questionable Criteria, Logical Fallacy of Cutting Off Discussion / Summary Dismissal, Logical Fallacy of Thought-Terminating Cliche / ClicheThinking, Logical Fallacy of the Perfect Solution / Nirvana Fallacy / Perfect Solution Fallacy / Perfectionist Fallacy, Just In Case Fallacy / Worst Case Scenario Fallacy, Logical Fallacy of Unwarranted Extrapolation, Logical Fallacy of Subjectivity / Relativist Fallacy / Subjectivist Fallacy, Logical Fallacy of Bizarre Hypothesis/Theory / Far-Fetched Hypothesis/Theory, Logical Fallacy of Least Plausible Hypothesis, Logical Fallacy of Extravagant Hypothesis / Complex Hypothesis Fallacy, Logical Fallacy of Privileging the Hypothesis, Logical Fallacy of False Appeal to Heaven / Appeal to Heaven / Gott Mit Uns / Manfest Destiny / Special Covenant, Logical Fallacy of Hedging / Having Your Cake / Failure to Assert / Diminished Claim / Failure to Choose Sides / Talking out of Both Sides of Your Mouth / If by Whiskey, Preacher's "We" / Salesman's "We" / Politician's "We" Fallacy, Logical Fallacy of Argument from Hearsay / Telephone Game / Chinese Whispers / Anecdotal Evidence / Volvo Fallacy, Logical Fallacy of Ad Hoc Rescue / Ad Hoc Hypothesis, The Logical Fallacy of Hindsight Bias / Knew-it-all-Along Effect / Creeping Determinism, Logical Fallacy of Continuum / Argument of the Beard / Fallacy of the Beard / Heap Fallacy / Heap Paradox Fallacy / Bald Man Fallacy / Continuum Fallacy / Line Drawing Fallacy / Sorites Fallacy, Logical Fallacy of Argument from Fallacy / Argumentum Ad Logicam, The Logical Fallacy of Reification / Anti-Conceptual Mentality Fallacy / Attributing Concreteness to the Abstract / Concretism / Hypostatization Fallacy / Objectification, Logical Fallacy of Reification / Personification, Logical Fallacy of Superstitious Thinking / Magical Thinking, Appeal to the Untested / Appeal to the Unknown Fallacy, Appeal to Pragmatism Fallacy / Pragmatic Fallacy / Appeal to Convenience / Pragmatism / Appeal to Utility / Argumentum Ad Convenientiam, How can we know anything about anything? , and the logical validity of the terms and the conclusion is true,... 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