GENERALIZATIONS AND THE FALLACY OF OVER GENERALIZATION
Facts lead to generalizations, by a process of reasoning known as induction or inductive reasoning. Reasoning allows us to bring order to the world; the world is not just a set of random facts. We can form general rules on the basis of specific experiences.
A generalization allows us to extend an observation from a particular instance to all relevant instances. The operative word here is 'relevant instances. Those of you who know some statistics will know how important it is to select the sample properly from which you reach a more general conclusion. Since this is not a course in statistics or research methodology, we shall not go into those details here. We shall only note that there are generalizations that are perfectly valid.
One valid example of this kind of reasoning, known in the Sanskrit tradition as "sthaali pulaaka nyaaya', is a very homely image.
How do you test whether a pot of rice is cooked or not?
By picking up a grain of rice and seeing if it is cooked or not. Note that the single grain of rice is representative of the entire pot of rice: that is, the grains of rice are all essentially similar in their characteristics. (For example, we don't usually cook together different kinds or varieties of rice, or even rice from different harvests.) Moreover, the grains of rice in the pot have all been subject to the same environmental influence:
they have been cooked over the same fire. The grain of rice you picked to test is typical of all the grains of rice in the pot.
When our sample (the grain of rice) is not representative of the entire population (the pot of rice), we have an overgeneralization; and overgeneralization can be considered the first fallacy in argumentation. Overgeneralizations are pervasive in popular talk. Most of us experience a single event, and jump to conclusions from it. We react emotionally rather than rationally when we say: "Don't go to that restaurant: the service is terrible!" on the basis of a single experience. Most of our prejudices cultures, races oF religious groups - may be overgeneralizations.
our negative feelings about other One reason for an overgeneralization may be size of our sample: it may be much too smail. If the population is not entirely homogenous, our sample must reflect its diversity. Otherwise we have an overgeneralization. As the popular saying goes. One swallow does not make a summer.
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