¶ … condition that's NECESSARY for an argument to be "fallacious." necessary condition for an argument to be fallacious is that it be an argument (rather than, say, a mere description). Nothing is a fallacious argument unless it is an argument.
For 5 points, cite one condition that's SUFFICIENT.
A sufficient condition for an argument to be fallacious is if the argument trades on an ambiguity and thereby commits the fallacy of equivocation. An argument commits the fallacy of equivocation if (but not only if) two premises of the argument contain a predicate that has two different senses. If we disambiguate the premises in the same way, one of the premises is false. If we disambiguate the premises so as to make them both true, the argument is invalid.
For 5 points, cite one condition that's both NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT.
Being rationally unconvincing is both necessary and sufficient for an argument to be fallacious. An argument is rationally unconvincing if and only if (1) the premises don't support the conclusion, (2) one of the premises is false, or (3) the argument is circular (or begs-the-question).
1.4. Cite one RELEVANT condition that's neither necessary nor sufficient:
When evaluating an argument to see whether it is fallacious, it is relevant to check to see whether it is deductively valid -- that is, check to see if it is not possible for the premises to be true and the conclusion false. All non-fallacious (rationally compelling) arguments are either deductively valid or inductively strong. Being invalid is not a necessary condition for fallaciousness, though, as some valid arguments are fallacious -- those with false premises and circular arguments. Moreover,...
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