Reification (fallacy)
For other uses see Reification (disambiguation)
Reification (also known as concretism, or the fallacy of misplaced concreteness) is a fallacy of ambiguity, when an abstraction (abstract belief or hypothetical construct) is treated as if it were a concrete, real event, or physical entity. In other words, it is the error of treating as a concrete thing something which is not concrete, but merely an idea.
Another common manifestation is the confusion of a model with reality. Mathematical or simulation models may help understand a system or situation but real life may differ from the model.
Reification is generally accepted in literature and other forms of discourse where reified abstractions are understood to be intended metaphorically, but the use of reification in logical arguments is usually regarded as a fallacy.
In rhetoric, it may be sometimes difficult to determine if reification was used correctly or incorrectly.
Read more about Reification (fallacy): Etymology, Theory, Difference Between Reification and Hypostatization, Fallacy of Misplaced Concreteness, Criticism, The Use of Constructs in Science, Relation To Other Fallacies, As A Rhetorical Device, See Also