Fallacies Flashcards
What is Ad hominem abusive?
Attacking the person making the argument instead of addressing the argument itself.
Example: “You’re just a know-it-all, so your opinion doesn’t matter.”
What is Ad hominem circumstantial?
Discrediting an argument by pointing out the person’s circumstances or interests.
Example: “Of course you support lower taxes; you’re a wealthy business owner.”
What is Poisoning the well?
Discrediting someone before they even present their argument to bias the audience.
Example: “Don’t listen to her; she’s always been a liar.”
What is Tu Quoque?
Deflecting criticism by pointing out that the accuser is also guilty of the same thing.
Example: “You say I shouldn’t smoke, but you smoke too!”
What is Appeal to the people?
Arguing that something is true or right because many people believe or do it.
Example: “Everyone is using this new app, so it must be good.”
What is Appeal to pity?
Using emotions like pity to persuade instead of logical reasoning.
Example: “You should hire me because I’m struggling financially.”
What is Appeal to fear or force?
Using fear or threats to persuade someone to accept an argument.
Example: “If you don’t vote for my candidate, your country will be in ruins.”
What is Rigid application of a generalization?
Applying a general rule too strictly without considering exceptions.
Example: “All politicians are corrupt; therefore, I can’t trust any of them.”
What is Hasty generalization?
Making a broad conclusion based on insufficient evidence.
Example: “I met two rude people from that city; the entire city must be rude.”
What is Composition?
Assuming that what is true for part of something is true for the whole.
Example: “Each ingredient in this dish is cheap, so the entire meal must be cheap.”
What is Division?
Assuming that what is true for the whole is true for part of something
Example: “Australian people are good at surfing. Matt is Australian, therefore Matt is good at surfing.
What is Biased sample?
Drawing a conclusion from a sample that is not representative of the whole population.
Example: “Most of my friends love horror movies, so everyone must love horror movies.”
What is Post HOC?
Assuming that because one event follows another, the first event caused the second.
Example: “I wore my lucky socks, and we won the game, so my socks must have caused the win.”
What is Slippery Slope?
Arguing that a small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of negative events.
Example: “If we allow people to buy small, non-lethal weapons, soon everyone will have access to dangerous weapons.”
What is Begging the question?
Assuming the conclusion of an argument within the premise itself.
Example: “Chocolate ice cream is the best because it’s the most delicious.”
What is Complex question?
Asking a question that assumes something not yet proven.
Example: “Have you stopped cheating on your tests yet?”
What is Appeal to ignorance?
Arguing that something is true because it hasn’t been proven false or vice versa.
Example: “Aliens must exist because we haven’t proven they don’t.”
What is Appeal to an unqualified authority?
Citing an authority on a topic unrelated to the argument.
Example: “My favorite actor says we should follow this diet, so it must be healthy.”
What is False dichotomy?
Presenting only two extreme options when there are more possibilities.
Example: “You can either go to college or end up working a dead-end job.”
What is Equivocation?
Using a word with multiple meanings in a misleading way within an argument.
Example: Love is just a chemical reaction in the brain. Therefore, when I say I love my partner, I’m just talking about chemicals
What is Straw man?
Misrepresenting or exaggerating an opponent’s argument to make it easier to attack.
Example: “Opponents of the new healthcare plan just want people to die.”
What is Red herring?
Introducing irrelevant information to divert attention from the main issue.
Example: “I know I didn’t finish my homework, but look how clean my room is!”
What is Misleading precision?
Using precise numbers to give an argument an unwarranted sense of accuracy.
Example: “Our new diet plan will help you lose precisely 2.5 pounds every week.”
What is Missing the point?
Addressing a different argument or topic than the one presented.
Example: “Yes, climate change is a problem, but what about the economy?”
What is an inductive argument?
Making a general conclusion based on specific observations
Ex: All the tigers I saw on my safari trip to South Africa were orange. Therefore, all tigers are orange.
What is a deductive argument?
When you start with a known rule to reach a specific conclusion
Ex: All dolphins are mammals, all mammals have kidneys, all dolphins have kidneys
