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Line 1: − The fallacy of the '''stolen concept''', also known as the fallacy of the '''self-negating statement''', is the [[logical fallacy]] of implicitly affirming what one wants to disprove or, alternatively, implicitly denying what one wants to prove. That is, the [[conclusion]] [[contradiction|contradicts]] one of the [[premise]]s. The term "stolen concept" referst to a concept that is "stolen" from the [[out of context|context]] that gives that concept meaning. − ==Examples== − *[[Socialist]]s claim that property is theft, but the concept of theft presupposes a right to own property. − *[[postmodernism|Postmodernists]] claim to know objectively that objective knowledge is impossible. − *[[Liberal Christianity|Liberal Christians]] claim that the [[Bible]], when [[Cafeteria Christianity|"rightly" divided]] and [[allegorical interpretation|"correctly" interpreted]], is the ultimate authority on [[faith]]. However, for that to work, the truly ultimate authority on faith would be the standard used for choosing which Bible verses to follow and for interpreting them, not the Bible itself. − *[[Liberal]] [[collectivist]]s want greater [[government]] intrusion into our lives to protect [[freedom]]. − *[[Pro-abortion]] activists argue that since there are no such things as [[unalienable rights]], there is no [[right to life]], so that there is an unalienable right to [[abortion]]. − *Liberal [[nanny state|nanny statists]] argue that some acts are contrary to universally accepted standards and that if they are not prevented, everyone will want to do them. − *Liberals justify [[special rights]] as furthering [[equality]] and oppose genuine equality as a special right. − *Liberals argue that the [[Equal Protection Clause]] was meant only to protect certain politically favored groups. That interpretation defeats the whole point of that clause. − *Liberals argue that the debt ceiling should be raised whenever reached. This argument makes the entire ceiling worthless in preventing excessive spending. − *[[Evolutionists]] use the [[argument from poor design]] to attempt to disprove [[creationism]]; however, according to evolutionism, natural selection should have selected out all suboptimal designs. − *Liberals will glady tear down real [[family|families]] to support the concept of the institution of the family as they understand it. − ==See also== − *[[Reductio Ad Absurdum]], a form of argument that can be used to expose a stolen concept − − ==References== − *[http://www.goodart.org/stolen.htm Stolen Concept] − [[Category:Logical Fallacies]]
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