All Fallicies Flashcards
Complex Question
Asks a question that assumes and so corners its respondent
Amphiboly
Exploits grammatical ambiguity with the syntax to lead to a false or questionable conclusion.
EX: Slow children crossing
Red Herring
Presents an irrelevancy to distract from the original issue
EX: A wife asks, “Does this shirt make me look fat?” and the husband replies, “I love how the color makes your eyes shine” and then walks out of the room.
Appeal to Ignorance
Argues that a lack of evidence is itself evidence
EX: “The Loch Ness monster must exist. People have been unable to prove that she doesn’t.”
Ad Populum
band wagon
EX: I don’t know why I’m the one in trouble when many others cheated on the test too.
False Cause
Turns a coincidence or a correlation into a cause
Guilt by Association
uses bad reputations to discredit
EX: Yeah, that’s a great idea; didn’t Hitler say the same thing?
Appeal to Authority
Submits testimony from an irrelevant or dubious source as evidence
EX: “Dr. Ryckman says rubbing honey on your face prevents acne. I plan to follow his advice. He is a doctor after all.”
“Yeah, but isn’t his PhD in Medieval Literature?”
Appeal to Emotions
Manipulates agreement by way of emotion instead of cogent reason
Question-Begging Epithet
Calls someone a name that implies a quality or fact that is not proved
Equivocation
Changes the meaning of a word or phrase in mid-discussion
Begging the Question
The use of the claim as its own justification
EX: “It is raining outside because water is falling from the sky”
Abusive Ad Hominem
sidetracks the issue by attacking the person
EX: How can Jones stand up there and tell us to be generous when he cant even match his tie with his jacket?
Special Pleading
involves a person applying rules and standards to others while exempting him- or herself. double standard
Sweeping Generalization
Misapplies a true principle to a situation that is exceptional
