Fallacies Flashcards
Your cousin is in a terrorist group, which means you’re a terrorist
Guilt by association
Refers to a situation where you are not directly at fault, but rather you are associated with someone who has done something wrong
Guilt by association
Assumes that one event causes another. Correlate a one-time experience for a cause-effect connection
Faulty cause/effect
Believing that wearing your lucky jersey will help your team win
Fault cause/effect
Certain items we genuinely don’t require for our true happiness can be sold to use by society.
False needs
The word gold I own, the happier I will be
False Needs
People were caught smoking weed, everyone was arrested whether they smoked weed or not
Guilt by association
I only own expensive cars because they help me drive better
Faulty cause/effect
Arguments that appear valid or convincing but are erroneous
Fallacies
Jumps in reasoning that leads to an unsubstantiated conclusion
Logical fallacy
This fallacy asserts that there are only two viable solutions or sides to a dispute when there are actually more
either/or
This type of fallacy uses binary thinking which is common in commercials, political speeches, or casual discussions.
Either/or
Martina asked Nanci if she liked hawaiian pizza but she didn’t. so, martina gave her cheese.
Either/or fallacy
You are either a dog person or a cat person, you can’t be both
Either/or
This fallacy occurs when someone claims that since B occurred right after A, A had to be the reason behind B. Lack of evidence for a casual conclusion
Post Hoc
Nanci ate pizza for lunch and got a good grade on her test. She believes that the pizza caused her to get a perfect grade.
Post Hoc
My computer crashed after installing the software, thus, the software made it crash.
Post Hoc
The appeal to pity fallacy occurs when someone attempts to persuade others by provoking feelings of guilt or pity. Instead of presenting factual information and evidence to support an argument, one may try to play on people’s feelings.
Appeal to Pity
someone telling their boss that they do not deserve to be fired for being late all the time, citing as evidence that their children will go hungry if they lose the job.
Appeal to pity
an attempt to discredit someone’s argument by personally attacking them. Instead of discussing the argument itself, criticism is directed toward the opponent’s character, which is irrelevant to the discussion.
Ad Hominem
A: “I did not break the glass.” B: “You can’t be trusted, you have lied 3 times before.
Ad Hominem
is a statement or conclusion that does not follow logically from what preceded it. Responses that have nothing to do with the conversation or flawed conclusions “based” on what preceded them.
Non Sequitur
A: “I really like the movie Barbie.”
B: “Did you know that Oppenheimer’s bomb killed more than 100 k people?”
Non sequitur
Claims based on insufficient evidence. USes small samples for broader conclusions
Hast Generalization
I had a bad experience with one teacher this means all teachers are bad
Hasty generalization
Assumes a premise is true to justify the argument, a form of circular reasoning
Begging the question
Distort’s opponent’s argument for easier refutation; doesn’t address the actual argument
Straw Man
Meaning: Arguing that something must be true or good because many people believe or do it.
Bandwagon approach
Everyone else is buying the latest smartphone, so you should too.”
Bandwagon Approach
Suggesting that one action will lead to a chain of events with disastrous consequences, without providing evidence for this causal connection.
Slippery Slope
“If we allow students to retake one test, they’ll want to retake every test, and soon the entire education system will collapse.”
Slippery Slope
Using the testimony of an authority figure as evidence for a claim, even if the authority is not an expert in the relevant field or their opinion is not based on evidence.
Appeals to authority
Dr. Smith says that this diet pill is effective, so it must be true.”
Appeals to authority
Presenting only favorable evidence or arguments for a particular position, while ignoring or downplaying opposing evidence or arguments.
Card Stacking
A commercial for a fast-food restaurant only focuses on the positive aspects of their food, while ignoring any health concerns or negative reviews.
Card Stacking
Drawing a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence, without considering all relevant factors.
Hasty generalization
“I met one rude person from that country, so everyone from that country must be rude.”
Hasty generalization
Assuming the truth of the conclusion in the premise, thereby circularly arguing for a point.
Begging the question
The Bible is the word of God because God says so in the Bible.”
Begging the question
Misrepresenting or oversimplifying someone else’s argument in order to make it easier to attack or refute.
Straw MAn
“Opponents of the new environmental policy claim that we shouldn’t protect the environment at all costs, but that’s just ridiculous.”
Straw MAn
Drawing a conclusion that does not logically follow from the premises or evidence presented.
Non sequitur
“All cats have fur. My dog has fur. Therefore, my dog is a cat.”
Non Sequitur
“I ate sushi last night, and now I have a stomachache. Therefore, the sushi must have made me sick.”
Post Hoc
