Denying the correlative

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The logical fallacy of denying the correlative is an attempt made at introducing alternatives where there are none. In a way, it is the opposite of the false dilemma, which is denying other alternatives.

For example:

Policeman: ".. either you stole the money or you didn't, which is it?". Suspect: "... you are assuming that the money really exists....". In the context of the question this is not a valid alternative: regardless of the existence of the money, the suspect either stole it or didn't.

In determining whether this fallacy is committed, a close look at the context is required. The essence of denying the correlative is introducing a false alternative into a context that logically admits none, but this itself could be taken as a statement (outside of logic) that the context is invalid. For example:

Either all apples are green, or some apples are not green. But what about apples that are both green and red?

The first statement is logically true, but this does not exclude the possibility of questioning whether the presented dichotomy is appropriate in the given context, e.g., some kind of fuzzy logic is more applicable to the issue, or some definitions may be questioned and must be clarified, or one of the alternatives must be further subdivided for fair context.

Examples:

1. Policeman: "Either you stole the money or you didn't, which is it?"
   Criminal Philosopher: "You're assuming that the money really exists."
   In the context of the question this is not a valid alternative.
2. Parent: "I know that I didn't eat the sweet, so it must have been one of you two."
   Child: "Maybe the sweet ate itself."
3. Cynic: "Everyone acts selfishly all the time."
   Priest: "What about Mother Theresa?"
   Cynic: "Well she wanted to be good, so she was doing what she wanted."
   This ignores the normal definition of selfishness and unselfishness.

See also

• Correlative based fallacies

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