Fallacies Flashcards
Circular reasoning
The reasoning for your statement leads you back to your statement, leading you nowhere.
Appeal to tradition
The argument that says “that’s the way it’s always been.”
Appeal to emotion
An attempt to evoke sympathy
Appeal to force
The use of authority and force to get your way.
Appeal to ignorance
A premise claims that nothing has been proved; conclusion then makes a definite assertion.
Appeal to unqualified authority.
Source is not trustworthy
Appeal to snobbery
All the best are doing this, so you should do it too.
Appeal to biased authority
When the source has a vested interest in the conclusion.
Personal attack
Asserting that a personal flaw equates to poor reasoning.
Group fallacy
Relies on group affiliation to propel the argument
Slippery slope
An attempt to make a far-fetched connection
Faulty analogy
Creating a comparison that does not work.
Hasty generalization
Using a small sample to assert universality.
Stacking the deck
Ignoring examples that dispute your claim.
Speculation fallacy
Attempting to create a scenario that is impossible to know.
Loaded question
When the question itself assumes far too much.
Contradictory premise
When the premise makes the conclusion impossible to be right or wrong.
Fallacy of simplistic thinking
Easy solution to a complex problem.
Fallacy of mis-intent
Distorting the intent of a word or belief
Misleading statistic
Distortion of numbers
False cause
No proven correlation between the cause and effect.
Red herring/ diversionary tactic
The attempt to divert the focus of the argument.
Either/or fallacy
Asserting that there are only two options.
The reasoning for your statement leads you back to your statement, leading you nowhere.
Circular reasoning
The argument that says “that’s the way it’s always been.”
Appeal to tradition
An attempt to evoke sympathy
Appeal to emotion
The use of authority and force to get your way.
Appeal to force
A premise claims that nothing has been proved; conclusion then makes a definite assertion.
Appeal to ignorance
Source is not trustworthy
Appeal to unqualified authority.
All the best are doing this, so you should do it too.
Appeal to snobbery
When the source has a vested interest in the conclusion.
Appeal to biased authority
Asserting that a personal flaw equates to poor reasoning.
Personal attack
Relies on group affiliation to propel the argument
Group fallacy
An attempt to make a far-fetched connection
Slippery slope
Creating a comparison that does not work.
Faulty analogy
Using a small sample to assert universality.
Hasty generalization
Ignoring examples that dispute your claim.
Stacking the deck
Attempting to create a scenario that is impossible to know.
Speculation fallacy
When the question itself assumes far too much.
Loaded question
When the premise makes the conclusion impossible to be right or wrong.
Contradictory premise
Easy solution to a complex problem.
Fallacy of simplistic thinking
Distorting the intent of a word or belief
Fallacy of mis-intent
Distortion of numbers
Misleading statistic
No proven correlation between the cause and effect.
False cause
The attempt to divert the focus of the argument.
Red herring/ diversionary tactic
Asserting that there are only two options.
Either/or fallacy
