All-Seeing AI

fallacy

Fallacy of composition

Also called: Composition fallacy

The fallacy of composition assumes that what is true of the parts must be true of the whole.

How it works

Properties do not always transfer upward. Things that work for one person or part can fail, or even backfire, when everyone or everything does them.

Examples

"Each player on this team is a star, so the team will be great."
Teamwork depends on how players combine, not just on individual skill.
"Saving money is good for a household, so it's always good for the whole economy."
If everyone saves at once, falling demand can harm the economy (the paradox of thrift).

How to spot it

  • A claim about each part used to reach a claim about the whole.
  • Interactions between parts are ignored.
  • Scale changes the effect.

How to respond

  • Ask whether the property depends on how the parts interact.
  • Look for cases where the whole behaves differently.
  • Separate claims about individuals from claims about systems.

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