Equivocation
Consider the following (apologies in advance to Swifties out there who might be offended):
Taylor Swift is a star.
Our Sun is a star.
A star is a massive gaseous hot stellar object.
Therefore, Taylor Swift and our Sun are massive gaseous hot stellar objects.
Something has surely gone wrong in this argument. There is equivocation over what is meant by a ‘star’. The noun ‘star’ has more than one meaning. In the context of Miss Swift, we are referring to a celebrity; in the case of our Sun, we are referring to the ball of plasma in space.
Consider the following:
Jones: I am going to the bank.
Smith: Whilst you are at the bank, could you withdraw some cash for me?
Jones: No, I am going fishing.
Smith: They have fish at the bank these days?
Jones and Smith are speaking at cross-purposes because there is equivocation over the meaning of ‘bank’. Jones means the riverbank but Smith means the financial institution.
In your own argumentative essay writing, make sure you define your terms!
