Fallacies Flashcards
Ad Hominem
Criticize an idea by blaming the person rather than the person’s idea
-“you’re wrong because you’re a jerk”
Argument From Authority
Tends to agree with assumptions because someone in a position of power said it or agreed with it
-“they must know what theyre talking about they have a PhD”
Appeal to ignorance
Based on the assumption that if it has not been proved, it is true
- “I can’t prove there isn’t a Lochness monster, so there must be one”
Begging the question
assumes that parts or all of what the person claims to be proven are proven facts
-The loch Ness monster spoke to me in my dream, so it must exist.
Hasty generalization
Lead to conclusion by providing insufficient, selective evidence
-Ping pong is a dangerous sport, my friend got hit in the eye with a ping pong ball and almost lost vision.
Non sequitur
A statement that does not relate logically to what comes before it
-If you want a 5 on the AP English exam, you wouldn’t spend so much time reading Twilight novels.
False dichotomy
consideration of only the two extreme when there are one or more intermediate possibilities
-AP Calculus BC class is impossible; either you get it or you don’t
Slippery Slope
Argument suggest dire consequences from relatively minor cause.
-If we allow the government to censor the website, soon they will censor the whole internet.
Faulty Causality
Setting up of a cause and effect relationship when none exist
-Violent crimes among teenager has risen in the past decade, and that is the result of the increased of violent video game.
Straw man argument
oversimplification fan opponent’s argument to make it easier to attack
-People who don’t support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor.
Sentimental Appeals
Appeals to the hearts of the reader so that they forget to use their mind
-The assignment was long but think how pleased your parents and I will be when you score a 5 on the exam
Red Herring
Attempts to shift attention away from an important issue by introducing an issue that has no logical connection to the discussion at hand
-Why should I study math? I don’t want to be a math teacher.
Scare Tactics
Frighten readers or listeners into agreeing with the speaker
-Because of the possibility of poisoning of Halloween candy by some people , communities should ban trick-or-treating.
Bandwagon appeals
Encourage the listeners to agree with a position because everyone else does
-Everyone else is going out and getting drunk tonight, so you should too.
Dogmatism
The speaker presume that his or her beliefs are beyond question
-I’m sorry, but I think penguins are sea creatures and that’s that.
