A THREAD on the increasing ubiquity of arguments plagued by *Reductio ad essentia*

They go like this:

If you believe in genetics, you are “essentially” a racist.

Masculinity is “fundamentally” toxic.

If you believe in higher taxes you are “basically” a Marxist.
Reductio ad essentia: https://twitter.com/cpicciolini/status/1320377850042646528">https://twitter.com/cpiccioli...
Reductio ad essentia / “basically” https://twitter.com/RussOnPolitics/status/1319679690861400065">https://twitter.com/RussOnPol...
Reductio ad essentia / “basically” https://twitter.com/zoeclaire_/status/1318971218977062913">https://twitter.com/zoeclaire...
Reductio ad essentia / “inherently” https://twitter.com/magicanarchist/status/1294807542443339777">https://twitter.com/magicanar...
Reductio ad essentia / “essentially” https://twitter.com/FinneganSalomez/status/1321086646075465728">https://twitter.com/FinneganS...
Reductio as essentia / “essentially” https://twitter.com/TrumpJew/status/1311365286029819904">https://twitter.com/TrumpJew/...
Reductio ad essentia/ “basically” https://twitter.com/HakiimMusic/status/1321093590811103234">https://twitter.com/HakiimMus...
Reductio ad essentia/ “basically” https://twitter.com/MindofLoki/status/1320773159629578241">https://twitter.com/MindofLok...
Reductio ad essentia / “no difference” https://twitter.com/reneeygraham/status/1322586265850728457">https://twitter.com/reneeygra...
Reductio ad essentia / "is rooted in" https://twitter.com/ashtonpittman/status/1323872177603698693">https://twitter.com/ashtonpit...
Reductio ad essentia / "fundamentally" https://twitter.com/tedwheeler/status/1336490910146707457">https://twitter.com/tedwheele...
(This one has a side of Alleged Certainty / Begging the Question fallacy)
And the pretend-poetic reductio ad essentia / “is” https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤡" title="Clownsgesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Clownsgesicht"> https://twitter.com/DrIbram/status/1158011047451811842">https://twitter.com/DrIbram/s...
Reductio ad essentia / “basically” https://twitter.com/ComfortablySmug/status/1334888844383186945">https://twitter.com/Comfortab...
Reductios ad essentia / “baked into” + “DNA” https://twitter.com/Botanygeek/status/1337692740268777473">https://twitter.com/Botanygee...
Reductio ad essentia / “basically,” “based on,” “literally,” etc. https://twitter.com/lennyaduncan/status/1338130534065565698">https://twitter.com/lennyadun...
Reductio ad essentia / “inherently”

Also...wut? https://twitter.com/distolero/status/1340074951781609474">https://twitter.com/distolero...
Reductio ad essentia / “basically constitutes” https://twitter.com/LoFiRepublican/status/1339016068614877184">https://twitter.com/LoFiRepub...
Reductio ad essentia / “inherently”

(Not to mention the lack of possessives with gerunds) https://twitter.com/sofiacpk/status/1360259881572433921">https://twitter.com/sofiacpk/...
Reductio ad essentia / “IS” and “inherently” https://twitter.com/literElly/status/1358755479237906439">https://twitter.com/literElly...
Reductio ad essentia / "basically" https://twitter.com/Atrios/status/1353019742299312130">https://twitter.com/Atrios/st...
Reductio ad essentia / “is” https://twitter.com/kareem_carr/status/1361141590803234818">https://twitter.com/kareem_ca...
Reductio ad essentia / “inherently” https://twitter.com/malindalo/status/1362060369028595714">https://twitter.com/malindalo...
Reductio ad essentia / “intrinsically” https://twitter.com/iwritecoolstuff/status/1366026171134189573">https://twitter.com/iwritecoo...
Reductio ad essentia + motte-and-bailey / “is literally” https://twitter.com/koaleszenz/status/1367693769974415362">https://twitter.com/koaleszen...
Reductio ad essentia / "almost literally" https://twitter.com/ConceptualJames/status/1369334439877242881">https://twitter.com/Conceptua...
One of the geniuses of @TitaniaMcGrath is how (she) employs the Reductio ad essentia so well / “Basically Eva Braun” etc https://twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath/status/1371139531676737537">https://twitter.com/TitaniaMc...
Reductio ad essentia / DeBlasio: “simply” https://twitter.com/NYDailyNews/status/1372224832184721410">https://twitter.com/NYDailyNe...
#StPattysDay Reductio ad essentia /

"St. Patrick is basically known for GENOCIDE!!!"
(He& #39;s done a lot of research. He knows his history.)
Reductio ad essentia / “inherently” https://twitter.com/drnikkistamp/status/1362232469550862336">https://twitter.com/drnikkist...
AOC with the reductio ad essentia / “is”

(You may see the fallacy better if you add “essentially” between “is” and “trying.) https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1377083940939440130">https://twitter.com/DailyCall...
Reductio ad essentia / “is rooted in” https://twitter.com/DInferences/status/1335973466193997832">https://twitter.com/DInferenc...
Reductio ad essentia / “inherently” https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1381745303997534216">https://twitter.com/RashidaTl...
Reductio ad essentia / “is” https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1384545521914818561">https://twitter.com/DailyCall...
Reductio ad essentia / tanning “is literally blackface” https://twitter.com/wilderfortruth/status/1391526771770675200">https://twitter.com/wilderfor...
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