Fallacies Flashcards
Narration
Telling a story
Description
Describing something
Process analysis
Explains how something works; instruction manual
Exemplification
Examples, facts, instances
Comparison and contrast
Juxtaposing two things to identify their similarities and differences
Classification and division
Major ideas into categories
Definition
Defining something
Cause and effect
Analyzing causes that lead to a certain effect
Begging the Question (circular logic)
An argument that goes around and around, with evidence making the same claim as the proposition
Non Sequitur arguments
Argument that doesn’t follow a logical sequence
Faulty analogies
Comparisons and metaphors attempt to relate ideas or situations that upon closer inspection aren’t really that similar
Hasty generalizations
Base an argument on insufficient evidence
Either or arguments
Reduce complex ideas to black and white choices
Slippery slopes
Suggest that one step will inevitably lead to more, eventually negative steps
Bandwagon appeal (ad populum)
Try to get everyone on board. Convince readers that everyone is doing it so they should do it too
Ad Hominem
Attacking the character of the opponent
Argument
A coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion
Claim of fact
Asserts that something is true or not true
- definition of problem
Claim of Value
Argues that something is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable
Claims of policy
Proposes change
First Hand evidence
Something YOU know
Ex, personal experience, observations, general knowledge
Personal experience
Most common
Adds a human element
Abstract idea more human
Anecdote
First hand evidence that discusses other people that you’ve either observed or been told about
Current events
Current events are accessed first hand through observation
Second hand evidence
Accessed through research, reading, and observation
Historical information
Verifiable facts that a writer know from research
Expert opinion
Expert is someone who has published research on a topic or whose job or experience gives him or her special knowledge
Quantitive evidence
Things that can be represented with numbers: statistics, surveys, polls, census information
Literary sources
Fiction as evidence to support an argument or as sources in an essay
Counterargument
Acknowledging opposing view points and explaining why they are wrong
