Virtuality fallacy

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The virtuality fallacy, first identified in the context of ICT ethics by American ethicist James H. Moor in 2001, is a name given to the informal fallacy of asserting that things which exist in a virtual context are not real, or do not have real effects.^[1] The fallacy has the following form:

Premise 1: X exists in cyberspace.

Premise 2: Cyberspace is virtual.

Conclusion: X (or the effect of X) is not real.

This fallacy could be used by those who want to defend their own questionable behavior on the Internet by saying "This is not real and will not cause any harm to other people."

References

^ Tavani, Herman T. (2011). Ethics and Technology: Controversies, Questions, and Strategies for Ethical Computing (3 ed.). John Wiley & Sons. pp. 97. ISBN 978-0470509500.

Common fallacies (list)

Formal

In propositional logic	Affirming a disjunct Affirming the consequent Conflation Denying the antecedent Argument from fallacy Masked man Mathematical fallacy
In quantificational logic	Existential Illicit conversion Proof by example Quantifier shift
Syllogistic fallacy	Affirmative conclusion from a negative premise Negative conclusion from affirmative premises Exclusive premises Existential Necessity Four terms Illicit major Illicit minor Undistributed middle

Informal

Equivocation

Question-begging

Correlative-based

Illicit transference

Secundum quid

Faulty generalization

Ambiguity

Questionable cause

Animistic
- Furtive
Correlation implies causation
- Cum hoc
- Post hoc
Gambler's
- Inverse
Regression
Single cause
Slippery slope
Texas sharpshooter

Appeals

Consequences	Argumentum ad baculum Wishful thinking
Emotion	Children Fear Flattery Novelty Pity Ridicule In-group favoritism Invented here / Not invented here Island mentality Loyalty Parade of horribles Spite Stirring symbols Wisdom of repugnance

Genetic fallacy

Ad hominem	Appeal to motive Association Reductio ad Hitlerum Reductio ad Stalinum Bulverism Poisoning the well Tone Tu quoque Whataboutism
Authority Accomplishment Ipse dixit Poverty / Wealth Etymology Nature Tradition / Novelty Chronological snobbery

Other fallacies
of relevance

Arguments	Ad nauseam Sealioning Argument from anecdote Argument from incredulity Argument from silence Argument to moderation Argumentum ad populum
Cliché The Four Great Errors I'm entitled to my opinion Ignoratio elenchi Invincible ignorance Moralistic / Naturalistic Motte-and-bailey fallacy Psychologist's fallacy Rationalization Red herring Two wrongs make a right Special pleading Straw man

Category

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