Fallacies Flashcards
ad hominem
a fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute
undefined terms
terms that people don’t generally agree on, and each individual has their own way of understanding
slippery slope
a fallacy which assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented
two wrongs make a right
arguing that doing something morally wrong is justified because someone else has done the same (or similar) thing.
loaded question
asking a question that has an assumption built into it so that it can’t be answered without appearing guilty
appeal to ignorance
based on the assumption that whatever has not been proven false must be true
argument from omniscience
arguer would need it to know about everyone’s beliefs or disbeliefs or about their knowledge.
appeal to tradition
a proposal that something should continue because it has traditionally existed or been done that way
argument from authority
concludes something is true because a presumed expert or witness has said that it is
appeal to group pressure
use group pressure to force someone to do/believe
appeal to fear
attempt to frighten one into an action or into accepting a belief
circular reasoning
a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence
false dilemma
occurs when it is suggested that only two alternatives exist even though there may be others
false causal relationship
conclusion does not follow from premises
red herring
introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion
straw man
a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea.
false cause
mistakenly assumes that because one event follows another, the first event is the cause of the second
false analogy
when two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of connection between them.
appeal to spite
argument is made through exploiting people’s bitterness or spite towards an opposing party
affirming the consequent
If A then B.
Not B.
Therefore, A.
equivocation
intentionally use vague language
denying the antecedent
If A, then B.
Not A.
Therefore, B.
hasty generalization
jumps to a general conclusion on the basis of insufficient evidence
fallacy of composition
what is true for the individual, or part, must necessarily be true for the group, or the whole
fallacy of division
assuming that what is true of the whole is automatically true of the part
post hoc ergo propter hoc
improperly assuming that a sequence in time implies a cause and effect
