Fallacies Flashcards
What type of fallacy looks at the form of a deductive argument?
Formal
What type of fallacy looks at the context of an argument?
Informal
What is a fallacy?
A defect in an argument with the illusion that a bad argument is good
What s the undistributed middle?
The blank term in a categorical syllogism is not distributed in at least one of the premises.
What is a fallacy of relevance?
When the evidence only seems to support the conclusion (it can be psychological)
Appeal to force
Always involves a threat by the arguer to the physical/ psychological well being of the listener
Appeal to pity
Argue tries to support the conclusion by evoking this from the listener whether directed toward the argue or some third party (truth is not the objective)
Appeal to the people
Argue uses the listeners desire for love, esteem, etc. To get them to accept the conclusion.
Appeal to the people (direct)
Argue excites the emotions of a crowd
appeal to the people (indirect)
Argue aims appeal @ one or more individuals in the crowd.
Bandwagon fallacy
Tries to persuade by stating or insinuating that you should adopt some View because every one else has adopted it
Appeal to Vanity
Convince by insinuating you should adopt some position because dang so will mare you popular, beautiful, etc
Appeal to snobbery
Persuades listeners by implying that adopting some views or plan of action will will make ore superior.
Appeal to tradition
Argues something is correct simply because Its a long standing practice.
Ad hominem abusive
Verbal insults against the personality, traits, or identity of an opponent rather than directly addressing the merits of an argument.
Ad hominem circumstantial
Casts aspirations on an opponents circumstances rather than directly addressing the merits of an argument
Tu quoque
Accuses the opponent of hypocrisy or of arguing in bad faith rather than directly addressing the merits of an argument
Accident fallacy
Attempts to lure someone into accepting a conclusion by appearing to some general rule that was broad appeal or acceptance among listeners (overgeneralization)
Straw man
Distorts an opposing argument so it appears easier to rebut than it actually is.
Red herring
Argue diverts the listeners attention from the real subject matter by changing the subject your of sequence)
Missing the point
Premises of an argument support one particular conclusion but then a different conclusion is drawn.
What is weak induction?
Mimic the form of inductive arguments but rely on premises that are clearly inadequate
Appeal to authority
An expert is cited but he is an expert in a different field or when there is no consensus among experts in that field
Appeal to ignorance
When the premises imply that no conclusion has been proved about something but the conclusion makes a definite assertion about that thing
Hasty generalization
When the conclusion is based on inssuficient evidence
Lazy generalization
When the evidence is stronger than the conclusion drawn
Forgetful induction
Speaker leaves out info that could effect the conclusion
False cause
A typical casual inference but the link between the premise and the conclusion of the fallacious argument depends on some imagined cause that probably doesn’t exist
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
This variety of the false cause fallacy presupposes that just because one event precedes another, the first caused the second
Non causa pro causa
One event is the cause of another but the mistake is NOT based on temporal succession
Oversimplified cause
When a multitude of causes is responsible for a certain effect but the arguer selects just ONE of the causes and represents it as if it were the sole cause.
Gamblers fallacy
Whenever the conclusion of an arguments depend of the supposition that the independent antecedent events are casually related.
Slippery slope
Occurs when the conclusion of an argument rests on a possible chain of events that the speaker portrays as inevitable
Weak analogy
A fallacy affecting analogous induction that is committed when the analogy is not strong enough to support the conclusion
Fallacies of presumption
Assumes that which needs to be proven
Begging the question
When the argument given in support of a conclusion assumes the conclusion is true
Complex question
When a question is asked that presumes an answer to another, unexpressed question.
False DIilemma
When disunited statements present two or more options as if they are the only possibilities or present them as if it’s necessarily an exclusive disjunctive
Suppressed evidence
when the arguer ignores important evidence that could effect the conclusion
Fallacies of ambiguity
Rely upon shifts in meaning between the premises and the conclusion
Equivocation
Occurs when the conclusion of an argument depends on the fact that a word/phrase is used in two different sentences in the argument.
Amphiboly
Committed when the argument contains grammatically ambiguous statements that lead to mistaken interperetations
Fallacies of illicit transference
Involve mistakenly concluding that attributes of one person or object are shared by another
Composition
Characteristics of the parts are erroneously attributed to the whole (ex. If you have a whole team of all star bball players, the team will win)
Division
Committed when the characteristics of the whole are erroniously attributed to the parts
Argument from silence
Argues something is true because it cannot be proven false (can’t prove therefore it must)
Genetic fallacy
Argues that a position is false because of some detail of its origin
Self-referential incoherence
Statement does not live up to its own statement
Conformation bias
The tendency that people have to value information that supports their presuppositions over information that is contrary to them.
