Fallacy of distribution

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A fallacy of distribution is a logical fallacy occurring when an argument assumes there is no difference between a term in the distributive (referring to every member of a class) and collective (referring to the class itself as a whole) sense.

There are two variations of this fallacy:

• Fallacy of composition - assumes what is true of the parts is true of the whole. This fallacy is also known as "arguing from the specific to the general"

Since Judy is so diligent in the workplace, this entire company must have an amazing work ethic.

• Fallacy of division - assumes what is true of the whole is true of its parts (or some subset of parts).

Because this company is so corrupt, so must every employee within it be corrupt.

While fallacious, arguments that make these assumptions may be persuasive because of the representativeness heuristic.

[edit] See also

• Existential fallacy
• Fallacy of the undistributed middle
• Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny

v • d • e Informal fallacies Begging the question • Fallacy of distribution (Composition • Division) • Gambler's fallacy and its inverse • Many questions • Red herring fallacy • Special pleading Correlative-based fallacies: False dilemma (Perfect solution) • Denying the correlative • Suppressed correlative Deductive fallacies: Accident • Converse accident Inductive fallacies: Biased sample • Conjunction fallacy • False analogy • Hasty generalization • Misleading vividness • Overwhelming exception Vagueness and Ambiguity: Continuum fallacy • False precision • Slippery slope Equivocation: Equivocation • False attribution • Fallacy of quoting out of context • Loki's Wager • No true Scotsman • Reification Questionable cause: Circular cause and consequence • Correlation does not imply causation (Cum hoc) • Post hoc • Regression fallacy • Single cause • Texas sharpshooter • Wrong direction Other types of fallacy