User:Dreftymac/Docs/ArgumentByCategory

Argument by Category
There is some matter at issue and one of the proponents of a particular viewpoint supports that viewpoint with a generalized appeal to an entire domain or sub-domain of an academic discipline or body of knowledge.

Examples:


 * all extreme finitists other than yourself recognize that ...
 * in all of neoclassical economics, there is no disagreement about ...
 * it is a widely established practice in biology to assume ...
 * It's proven sociological fact that people have a tendency to ...

implications of "argument by category"

 * implies the matter at issue has already been resolved;
 * implies the existence of a uniform, "monolithic establishment" without acknowledging that the establishment is comprised of individuals and organizations, each with unique perspectives;
 * implies that there is some "fixed practice" (within the establishment) that is not subject to change or refinement;
 * implies a "fixed boundary" (around the establishment) that is not subject to influence or refinement by related concepts in outside disciplines;

fundamental limitations of argument by category

 * every major discipline has "grey areas" and "contestable claims";
 * every major discipline has terms and concepts, the explanation of which will differ depending on which expert you ask;

The less trivial a matter is, the greater its potential for alternate re-interpretation by different people. The more trivial a matter is, the more likely it is to be readily apparent to anyone familiar with the establishment. Therefore, "Argument by Category" is many times either: 1) too obvious to be worth mentioning; or 2) a side-stepping of a matter at issue as though it were not at issue.

Counter-example: basic definitions and comparisons
It is not "argument by cateogry" to present basic definitions or comparisons.

For example the following kinds of statements could be considered comparisons:
 * Most economists use the greek letter "Delta" to mean "change", but many lawyers use it to mean "Defendant".
 * In the automotive repair industry, certification is often a pre-requisite for employment, not so for the plumbing industry.
 * Zoologists tend to apply a different meaning to "endogenous" than most sociologists.