Episode 15: Logical and Personal Inconsistency

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, April talks about inconsistency. While logical inconsistency is always wrong (it's known as the fallacy of inconsistency), personal inconsistency is a little more complicated. When people say one thing and then later do or say another thing, we tend to think that's a bad thing (and we are certainly right, at least sometimes). But, because consistency is so important, do we run the risk of being labeled a hypocritical flip-flopper if we should happen to come to a different conclusion than we came to previously? When is saying something different than you said before hypocrisy, and when is it justified? Episode 15 Show NotesA transcript of the NPR program referenced in the episode:https://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/147980266/our-brains-betrayed-by-political-inconsistencyAn explanation of logical inconsistency:https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/InconsistencySome examples of the fallacy of inconsistency:https://www.txstate.edu/philosophy/resources/fallacy-definitions/Inconsistency.html#:~:text=A%20person%20commits%20the%20fallacy,line%20and%20say%20no%20moreTrump's personal inconsistency regarding the Access Hollywood tape:https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/28/16710130/trump-says-access-hollywood-tape-fakeA Washington Post op-ed piece about President Biden and the filibuster (liberally oriented, of course, so it gives that viewpoint about the filibuster issue):https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/02/perverted-rule-how-joe-biden-evolved-supporting-filibuster-trying-change-it/A Heritage Foundation op-ed piece (which is the conservative opinion, so it helps with understanding why some people would say he's being hypocritical) about the issue of Joe Biden and the filibuster:https://www.heritage.org/political-process/commentary/senator-joe-biden-vs-president-joe-biden-filibuster-problemAn excellent, succinct explanation of personal inconsistency and why it's not always wrong:http://changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/fallacies/personal_inconsistency.htm