A false dilemma reduces a problem to only two options when there are additional possibilities or intermediate positions.
Example
“If you are not with me, you are against me.”
(Neutral or nuanced positions are excluded.)
Applied example (political)
“Either you accept the full reform or you want no change at all.”
(Partial reforms or alternatives are ignored.)
Applied example (superstitious)
“If the ritual fails, it is because you do not believe; only faith or failure exists.”
(Methodological explanations are excluded.)
Why it is fallacious
- It oversimplifies complex situations.
- It forces a binary choice without justification.
- It hides reasonable alternatives.
How to spot it
- Only two extreme options are presented.
- Middle positions are invalidated.
- Black-or-white language is used.
How to respond
- List additional options.
- Show gradients or mixed solutions.
- Ask why other possibilities are dismissed.