Composition and Division

"The whole is greater than the some of the parts."

In a composition fallacy, it is claimed that what is true of the parts is also true for the whole. In a division fallacy, it is claimed that what is true of the whole is also true of all the parts.

Examples:

"People are alive, and people are made up of atoms, so atoms must be alive." (division)

"Atoms are not alive, and people are made up of atoms, so people must not be alive." (composition)

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Written by Jim Norton

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