A reductio ad absurdum argument, aka proof by contradiction, tries to show that one claim, X, is false because it implies another claim, Y, that is absurd. To evaluate such an argument, the following questions should be asked: 1. Is Y really absurd? Yes 2. Does X really imply Y? Yes 3. Can X be modified in some minor way so that it no longer implies Y? No ### References - [[Forms of Refutation]]