Cumulative Flashcards
Ad Hominem Abusive
Arguments that attempt to avoid the issue by insulting an opponent with abusive language
Ad Hominem Circumstantial
Arguments that try to discredit an opponent because of his background, affiliations, or self-interest in the matter at hand
Tu Quoque
Arguments that assume that a rival’s recommendation should be discounted because the rival does not always follow it himself
Genetic Fallacy
Arguments that state that an idea should be discounted simply because of its source or origin
Appeal to Fear (ad baculum)
Arguments that distract by making the audience afraid of the consequences of disagreeing with the speaker
Appeal to Pity (ad misericordiam)
Arguments that distract by making the audience feel sorry for the speaker or someone on behalf of whom the speaker is arguing
Mob Appeal (ad populum)
Arguments that distract by making the audience want to be part of the crowd or one of the “common people.”
Snob Appeal
Arguments that distract by making the audience want to feel “special”/have “discriminating taste”
Appeal to Illegitimate Authority (ad verecundiam)
Arguments that distract by attempting to shame the listener into agreement by citing an illegitimate authority
Chronological Snobbery
Arguments that distract by making the audience want to either be a part of an old tradition or of the latest cool, new thing
Appeal to Ignorance
Arguments that claim that since a proposition cannot be disproven, it must therefore be true or likely
Irrelevant Goals or Functions
Arguments that distract by measuring a plan or policy according to goals it wasn’t intended to achieve
Irrelevant Thesis
Arguments that distract by making a case for the wrong point
Straw Man Fallacy
Arguments that attempt to disprove an opponent’s position by presenting it in an unfair, inaccurate light
Begging the Question (petition principii)
Arguments that assume the very same thing that one is trying to prove
Bifurcation (False Dilemma)
Arguments that frame the debate such that only two options are possible, when other possibilities may exist
Fallacy of Moderation
Arguments that assume the correct answer is always the middle ground or a compromise between two extremes
Is-Ought Fallacy
Arguments that assume that just because something is a certain way, it ought to be that way.
Fallacy of Composition
Arguments based on a hidden assumption that the properties of the whole will be the same as the properties of the parts
Fallacy of Division
Arguments that are based on the hidden assumption that a collective whole determines that all of its parts will be like the whole.
Sweeping Generalization (Accident)
Arguments that overextend a generalization to include facts or cases that are exceptions to it
Hasty Generalization (Converse Accident)
Arguments that make a generalization on the basis of too few samples.
False Analogy
Arguments that fail because they create an analogy between two things that are not similar enough to warrant an analogy
False Cause
Arguments that are based on a weak cause-and-effect situation
Fake Precision
Arguments that use numbers or statistics in a way that is too precise to be justified by the situation
