The Nature of

Either / Or
Fallacies
Fallacy

Either/Or Fallacy

Definition: requires
absolutes that do not allow
for intermediate cases; a
party in an argument
characterizes a complex
problem as having only two

Illustration

Two Opposite
Paths, by
Natalie Jo
Micco

Exampl
e1

Link to video: https://youtu.be/9Id_r6pNsus

In 1964, Lyndon B.
Johnson released a
political
advertisement-- aired
only once-- which
displayed a small girl
counting daisies. Soon
enough, her small
chants quickly turned
into a bomb
countdown. The
commercial ended

Example
2

In the Lion King, Rafiki

gives Simba two
completely different
options while he faces
his past of causing his
fathers death. By only
offering two
suggestions, both polar
opposites, rather than
a variety of answers,
he presents the
either/or fallacy. This
is a very popular scene
in the movie, and the
Lion King is a central
Disney movie, watched
by millions, Who knew

Analysis

Society consistently uses the either /or fallacy, a logical fallacy, whether it is broadcast in an advertisement or a
reference in daily life, to persuade viewers to pick the proper alternative. Numerous circumstances that employ the fallacy
in pop culture can be found, for instance, in the Daisy Girl commercial released in President Johnsons 1964 campaign
which promotes love over war and in the Disney movie, The Lion King, often argued as the pinnacle of Disney animation.
This fallacy can be traced back to 1964; President Lyndon B. Johnson broadcasted one of the most notorious and
controversial advertisements in history, ultimately winning the election for him. This commercial sparked the tactic of
persuasion in advertisements and was later used consistently. The advertisement specifically states, Either love each
other, or die, offering no intermediate choice, limiting their decision, and persuading people to choose the better
option--in this case, love. A young girl and an atomic bomb, showed alongside each other in the same commercial,
prompted the viewers to vote for President Johnson, affirming the voters hope that the candidate promotes love, instead
of war. A movie loved by many, The Lion King was voted the best Disney movie in existence, outrunning all its competition
to take number one on the Disney charts. One of the most famous quotes from the movie is the fallacy itself-- Yes the past
can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it. As Simba reflects on his scarring past, the
opposites presented by Rafiki represents the either /or fallacy. The quote motivates and heavily weighs on the movies plot,
and it changes Simbas future, since it is a principal scene in the movie. The fallacy is not only powerful enough to
persuade Simba, but it controls his destiny in many ways offering two options, one to fill his future with light and
happiness and the other with darkness and solitude. The either/ or fallacy is commonly confused with opposites or
paradoxes, though the fallacy is used to persuade a person or party to choose the more appropriate option given, rather to
merely point out two contrasting objects. Overall, the either/ or fallacy, used by advertisers, political parties, and even
parents in a typical family, forces the viewer of the juxtaposition to choose between the two contrasting options, as the
fallacy illuminates the better option, and persuades others to choose the far superior choice.

Bibliography
Boguslavskiy, Michael. Night and Day Detection. 16 September 2011. Web. 10
March 2015.
NBC. Daisy Girl. 1964. United States of America. Wikipedia. Web. 10
March
2015.
Walt Disney Feature Animation. Lion King. 1994. Disney Studios,
California.
Quote Image. Web. 10 March 2015.
*all other images drawn by Nicole and Natalie