Editing Conflation (section)

==Communication and reasoning==
The result of conflating concepts may give rise to [[fallacies]] and [[ambiguity]], including the [[fallacy of four terms]] in a categorical [[syllogism]]. For example, the word "bat" has at least two distinct meanings: a [[Bat|flying animal]], and a piece of sporting equipment (such as a [[baseball bat]] or [[cricket bat]]). If these meanings are not distinguished, the result may be the following categorical [[syllogism]], which may be seen as a joke ([[pun]]):

:#All bats are animals.
:#Some wooden objects are bats.
:#Therefore, some wooden objects are animals.

Using words with different meanings can help clarify, or can cause real confusion. English words with multiple (verb) meanings can be illustrated by instances in which a motion is merged with or a causation with manner,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Alexiadou |first=Artemis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wpw1uzoG5ysC&dq=conflation&pg=PA212 |title=Theoretical Approaches to Universals |date=2002-01-01 |publisher=John Benjamins Publishing |isbn=978-90-272-2770-6 |pages=211–2 |language=en}}</ref> e.g. ''the bride floated towards her future.'' In this example, the bride may be married on a boat, airplane, or hot-air balloon, etc.<ref>{{cite web|title=Float|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/float|website=dictionary.reference.com|access-date=25 September 2015|location=Verb, item 3|quote=to rest or move in a liquid, the air, etc.}}</ref> She could be walking the aisle towards matrimony.<ref>{{cite web|title=Float|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/float|website=dictionary.reference.com|access-date=25 September 2015|location=Verb, item 4|quote=to move lightly and gracefully}}</ref> The verb "float" has multiple meanings, and both verb meanings in the example may be proper uses of a bride "floating" toward a future. The "manner" of the scene, described by further context, would explain the true meaning of the sentence.

In an alternate illustrative example, ''respect'' is used both in the sense of recognizing a right and having high regard for someone or something. We can ''respect someone's right'' to an opinion without ''holding this idea in high regard''. But conflation of these two different concepts leads to the notion that all ideological ideas should be treated with respect, rather than just the right to hold these ideas. Conflation in logical terms is very similar to [[equivocation]].{{Citation needed|date=October 2022}}