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Package Deal Fallacy

Also Known As: False Bundle Bundling Fallacy
Informal Fallacy ID: package_deal_fallacy

Definition

A fallacy that bundles together distinct propositions and treats them as a single package that must be accepted or rejected in its entirety. This prevents nuanced evaluation of individual claims and forces false all-or-nothing choices.

Examples

If you support free speech, you must also support hate speech, because they are the same thing.

If you believe in stricter gun regulations, you must also want to abolish the Second Amendment entirely and leave citizens defenseless — it's all the same agenda.

You can't claim to care about the environment but still eat meat. Being an environmentalist means going fully vegan, zero-waste, and car-free — you either commit to all of it or you're a hypocrite.

Verification Steps
Verification Steps
Binary yes/no questions that an AI must answer to detect a reasoning pattern in a text.
Each of the 452 aspects has verification steps — simple yes/no questions designed to systematically detect whether a pattern appears in a text. For ad hominem: "Does the argument attack a person rather than their claim?" For false dichotomy: "Are only two options presented when more exist?" This ensures consistent, reproducible analysis.

Binary (yes/no) questions an LLM must answer to identify this aspect:

  1. 1

    Does the argument group together multiple distinct claims or items?

    Type: binary
  2. 2

    Does it treat the group as inseparable, requiring acceptance or rejection of all items together?

    Type: binary
  3. 3

    Could the items reasonably be evaluated independently?

    Type: binary
Deep Dive
The expandable detail section on each aspect page with examples, psychology, and counter-strategies.
The Deep Dive section provides in-depth information about each aspect: a real-world example showing the pattern in action, an explanation of why it works psychologically, practical advice on how to counter it, alternative names, and links to related aspects.