What is the 'fallacy of composition'?

The 'fallacy of composition' refers to the error that occurs when one mistakenly believes that what is true for individual parts must also be true for the whole. This fallacy might manifest in various contexts, such as arguments related to economics, where one might argue that if a single worker in a company is efficient, then the entire company must be efficient as well. Here, the conclusion drawn does not logically follow from the premise because the collective properties of a group do not inherently reflect the properties of its individual members. Understanding this fallacy is crucial for critical thinking, as it highlights the need to evaluate the evidence and reasoning behind generalizations made about groups based on the characteristics of individual components.