Barbaric False Dichotomy Analysis
Barbaric False Dichotomy
In a 1985 essay from the New Republic magazine, former mayor of New York Edward Koch commits a false dichotomy. He does this by comparing surgery for cancer to the death penalty of the criminal. Koch claims that surgery will one day be considered “barbaric,” but “to give up and do nothing would be far more barbaric.” In other words, if the surgeon doesn’t take any steps and lets the patient suffer his horrific disease that might be considered far more barbaric. Then, Koch says imposing the death penalty of the convicted criminal would be “barbaric,” but letting the criminal go free, and not undergo the suffering he caused would be far more “barbaric.” If this happens this would be an opportunity for the criminal
In a 1985 essay from the New Republic magazine, former mayor of New York Edward Koch commits a false dichotomy. He does this by comparing surgery for cancer to the death penalty of the criminal. Koch claims that surgery will one day be considered “barbaric,” but “to give up and do nothing would be far more barbaric.” In other words, if the surgeon doesn’t take any steps and lets the patient suffer his horrific disease that might be considered far more barbaric. Then, Koch says imposing the death penalty of the convicted criminal would be “barbaric,” but letting the criminal go free, and not undergo the suffering he caused would be far more “barbaric.” If this happens this would be an opportunity for the criminal