Definitions Flashcards
False cause fallacy
Attributing a false cause-and-effect relationship between two events.
Just because 2 things happen at same time doesn’t mean one caused the other. Could be coincidence, or 3rd thing in place.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
(false cause) fallacy assuming event A caused event B solely on the basis that B came after A
Cum hoc ergo propter hoc
(false cause) fallacy assuming event A caused event B solely on the basis that the 2 events occur together.
Begging the question
Arbitrarily assuming what one is attempting to prove as part of the proof.
Virtuous circle
Argument defining an ultimate standard with unavoidable circularity due to the essential nature of the claim. Is self-consistent and non-arbitrary.
Vicious circle
Fallacious circular reasoning, begging the question.
Question-begging epithet
Using biased, emotional language to persuade people rather than logic
The complex question
Attempting to persuade by asking a loaded (2 part) question
Fallacy of Bifurcation
Claiming there are only two options, when there is a third option(or more)
The no true Scotsman fallacy
Using a biased definition (like adding “real” or “true”) not found in a dictionary to protect a claim.
Special pleading
Exempting yourself from a standard you expect others to follow
False analogy (or weak analogy)
Analogies that aren’t relevant to the topic under discussion.
Slippery slope fallacy
Arguing that a given action will set off a chain reaction leading to a particular result.
Ad hominem
Directing an argument against the person making the claim rather than the claim itself.
Circumstantial ad hominem
Arguing that a person’s argument is wrong because of the person’s circumstances, biases, or motivation.
Abusive ad hominem
Arguing that a person’s argument is wrong by attacking the person’s character.
Faulty appeal to authority
Claiming that a proposition or an argument must be correct because a fallible person believes it. Often the appeal is to an expert but outside his area of expertise, or who disagrees with others in the same field.
Strawman Fallacy
Misrepresenting an opponent’s position and proceeding to refute the misrepresentation rather than what the opponent actually claimed.
Appeal to force/fear
Arguing for a position on the basis that negative consequences will follow if a person does not accept the position.
Appeal to emotion
Fallacy of attempting to persuade people by stirring powerful emotions rather than making a logical case.
Appeal to pity
Persuading people to accept a position by generating sympathy for those who hold the position.
Appeal to ignorance
Fallacy of appealing to the unknown; specifically when a person argues that a claim is probably true simply because it has never been proven false.
Moralistic fallacy
Asserting that because something should (morally) be a particular way, it is that particular way.
Naturalistic fallacy
Arguing that since something is a particular way, it is morally acceptable for it to be that way.
Appeal to consequences
Arguing that something must be true because it is desirable, or that something must be false because it is undesirable.
Genetic fallacy
The error of criticizing or dismissing an argument due to its source.
Tu quoque fallacy
Attempting to refute an argument by pointing out that the person making the argument is not behaving consistently with the conclusion of the argument.
Fallacy of irrelevant thesis
Proving a point, but not the point at issue.
Appeal to majority
Arguing that something must be true because a majority believes it. This is a specific type of the faulty appeal to authority.
Appeal to hypocrisy
The fallacy of dismissing an argument because the conclusion is inconsistent with the behavior of the argument. The tu quoque fallacy.
