Logical Fallacy: Appeal to Nature

Whether it’s deployed as means to justify supplementing with performance enhancing drugs or it’s an argument for subscribing to a fruitarian diet, be weary of the naturalistic fallacy. After all, human growth hormone (HGH) is produced naturally in the body and consuming thirty-one bananas per day (and subsequent Type-II Diabetes) excludes all unnatural food. Neither are logical arguments for PED use or extreme nutrition practices.

If you’re looking out for this in the wild, you may recognize a pattern of faulty logic that looks like the following reference:

“That which is natural, is good.

N is natural.

Therefore, N is good or right.

 

That which is unnatural, is bad or wrong.

U is unnatural.

Therefore, U is bad or wrong.” 

 

While there may be a large number of natural things with admirable, positive qualities and there might be a large number of unnatural things with undesirable, negative qualities, it’s important to recognize that this isn’t a rule. If you’re using this as a justification for some behavior, keep looking. You may be standing on shaky ground.

 

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach