*About the Project

The Mission

The Logical Fallacy Tarot’s mission is to make critical thinking tools engaging, fun, and easy to understand. In addition to written descriptions each logical fallacy entry will be accompanied by a fun visual mnemonic designed to help in the recollection process. Those of you who have subscribed to the LFT newsletter will be among the first to hear the latest news regrading the finished decks, changes to the site, and occasional project updates. Add your email address using the widget on the right!

* Terms and Definitions

The purpose of the project is to make critical thinking tools more accessible, however, not all these tools/concepts are logical fallacies. The title of the project is shorthand and has a better ring than, ‘Critical Thinking Tools and Concepts Tarot’.

Here are some definitions of common terms:

A Formal Fallacy is a fallacy because of bad form. The argument is structured wrong therefore the conclusion is invalid.

An Informal Fallacy is a fallacy because of something wrong about the content of the argument or the meaning of the content.

A Cognitive Bias is a distortion of reality created by our brain.

Project Phases

Phase 1 – CURRENT PHASE – Get feedback on initial fallacy descriptions and artwork using the blog. Feel free to comment, suggest, or criticize.

Phase 2 – Launch Kickstarter to print finished decks.

Phase 3 – Retire Blog(maybe) and update website with finished descriptions and resources to spread critical thinking.

Format/Guidelines

I will update the blog as frequently as possible and occasionally I may also post personal observations or articles pertaining to critical thinking.

Each entry will be effectively a first draft of what will be published with the cards. The descriptions will be no longer that 260 words, and will be written so just about anyone can understand them.

Each entry will be accompanied by a version of the corresponding artwork.

I strongly encourage criticism and feedback regarding any of my definitions or posts. I am sure I will make mistakes, however…

The point of this blog is NOT to inflate one’s sense of intellectual superiority. If you are posting feedback/criticism, do so with the intent to share good information. I can sniff out jerks and will not hesitate to delete them.

Truckee Lynch(Creator)

Truckee Lynch is a San Francisco based graphic designer, and video editor. His interest include contemporary science, skepticism, local history and playing board games. Known for tireless and enthusiastic debates, Truckee has been interested critical thinking for many years.

Catherine Dwelley(Artist)

Based in Salem, Oregon, Catherine garners inspiration from her cats and weed-filled garden. She works primarily in mixed media, but also enjoys making books from scratch, and often finding her supplies in the recycle bin. She graduated the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a BA in Fine Art/emphasis in Illustration. Catherine and Truckee have been friends since high school. Her artwork/blog can be found at http://thepaintedmenagerie.wordpress.com/

What’s with the weird name “Truckee”?

”Patrick-Michael’ Lynch, still known by this to doctors and the IRS, at the age of three said that his name was ‘Truckee’. It was spit out after trying and failing many times to repeat the mouthful of his own name. He had no affinity toward trucks nor the small California town. Believing the wisdom of a three-year-old came from some higher plane of understanding, his mother took it upon herself to vehemently defend the proclamation. His father reluctantly went along with it, forever inserting “His real name is Patrick.” into every introduction since. His father believed that ‘Truckee’ was probably a phonetic misstep derived from ‘Patruck’… The truth of the of the matter was, Patrick-Michael just liked the way ‘Truckee’ sounded, and not knowing the proper rules of first names, simply responded to a difficult question with a sensible answer.