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What do you call a person, who can't think logically, and - as a result - tells you how to fix symptom X without even trying to analyze its causes (your computer doesn't work - restart it, if it doesn't help - re-install the operating system) ?

Another example: There is a villain A. Countries B, C and D all sign a non-aggression agreements with that villain. Someone tells a person with illogical thinking that country D is evil, while B and C are not, and he believes it.

In Russian, there is a term classical thinking method (гуманитарный способ мышления), which is used to ridicule such people. Its abbreviation corresponds to the widely used abbreviation for fuel and lubricant materials (горюче-смазочные материалы, ГСМ). It's also funny - illogical thinking has as much intelligence in it as gasoline and oil.

I'm looking for terms like that in English.

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  • How do you know they believe it? Are you believing them when they tell you they're believing it?
    – TimR
    Jun 21, 2015 at 13:33
  • @TimRomano The example with the villain is a real one. Villain is Hitler and the countries, who signed peace treaties with him are Britain, France and Russia. These are known facts. And in all history books I'm aware of, it's Russia, who is guilty in the outbreak of World War II (beause of that pact). So, people see the facts (3 countries signed peace treaties with Hitler), see the illogical conclusion (1 of the three is more guilty than the others), but don't complain. I think, if a significant portion of historians noticed this disconnect, the textbooks would be different.
    – Glory to Russia
    Jun 21, 2015 at 13:50
  • @Dmitri Pisarenko I have never heard of that. I am British and Hitler is regarded as the only cause ever given for WWII. I have never seen a documentary or text book that blaims Russia for it. It sounds more like a matter of ignorance with these people than a problem with logic. The first example you give can be called Voodoo or just laziness. There are words for different types of illogical thought but I can't think of any for a person that commits a particular type.
    – Avon
    Jun 21, 2015 at 14:01
  • @Avon That's the difference between a Russian and an otherwise non-Russian but still Western history education. For instance, the Russians also claim that they really won WWII and that the Allies were late arrivals who elected to invade France in June of 1944 (the war ended the following spring) only to prevent a complete Russian takeover of Europe. There's some truth to this claim. But, like you, I've never heard that Russia was guilty of causing WWII. Not to mention that before Germany invaded Russia (Operation Barbarossa) in 1941, they had a nonaggression pact with Stalin.
    – DJohnson
    Jun 21, 2015 at 19:09
  • @Avon In Austrian colleges (both statements of teachers and history textbooks) history of World War II always includes the remark that Russia is partly guilty in its outbreak. In private communication, I heard several Russians say that Stalin may have contributed to the start of the war. Finally, there is a bestselling (in Russia) author Suvorov/Rezun, who allegedly claims that Soviet Union prepared to attack Germany. I haven't read his books, I don't guarantee that this claim is accurate. All examples (apart from Austrian pupils) involve people, who have proper education and know the facts.
    – Glory to Russia
    Jun 21, 2015 at 19:22

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English is rich with synonyms and phrases for this phenomena and cluster of behaviors. In large part, and if the Whorf-Sapir hypothesis has any relevance, this wealth is due to the overwhelming lack of acuity among the great unwashed out there:

irrational

specious

glossolalic

clueless

fogbound

surd

and my personal fave: apophenic

These are just a few examples...

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  • +1 For apophenic especially because they have to look it up (I did)
    – Avon
    Jun 21, 2015 at 14:05
  • I forgot birdbrain...
    – DJohnson
    Jun 21, 2015 at 19:04
  • And I reminded you of that did I? Charming! (jk)
    – Avon
    Jun 21, 2015 at 19:05
  • No way! Of course you didn't! :)
    – DJohnson
    Jun 21, 2015 at 19:21
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There is a long list of adjectives that might fit depending on the situation: delusive, irresponsible, unreasoning, fallacious, illogical, inconsequent, etc.

  • delusive (personality) (adj) "tending to lead one into error" TFD

  • irresponsible (adj) "not having or showing maturity or good judgment" MW

If you are looking for a noun, I suggest the person is a "rumormonger"

  • rumormonger (noun) - a person given to spreading rumors, often maliciously.
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