Source: The Daily Economy
by Donald J Boudreaux
“Early on in my introductory economics course I warn my students always to beware of various logical fallacies, none of which is more prone to sow confusion than the fallacy of composition. This fallacy is committed whenever someone concludes that that which is true for a part of the group is necessarily true for all of the group. The classic example is standing up in a stadium to get a better view of the game. If one or a small number of people stand up, these folks do indeed enjoy a better view. But obviously it’s mistaken to conclude that ‘therefore, if everyone stands up, everyone will get a better view.’ Protectionists commit the fallacy of composition whenever they point – as they incessantly do – to particular firms that get more sales, and to workers who keep particular jobs, as a result of tariffs and other trade restrictions.” (12/30/24)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/protectionism-and-the-fallacy-of-composition/