Distinction without a difference
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This page is part of the EvoWiki encyclopedia of fallacies. |
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Synonyms
- Phantom Distinction
- Sham Distinctions
Explanation
Trope of argumentation where one word, or phrase, is argued for in favor of another word, but there is no difference in the final result of the argument. The substitution of words is often made because one word has emotional connotations, or an established history. For example "Creationism" is a word with a history, and thus many anti-evolutionists want to avoid the "Creationist" label, even if they use the same ideas, the same arguments and come to the same conclusions.
In legal terminology a "distinction without a difference" is more specific, it means a change in definitions which does not change the set which is defined. For example changing "unseparated married men" to "males who have a non-separated spouse" is a distinction without a difference.
Category
Twin Fallacy
External Links
- Bruce Thompson [1]
