Informal Fallacies

Question 1

dismissing a claim as absurd without demonstrating proof for its absurdity.

Answer 1

Appeal to the stone (argumentum ad lapidem)

Question 2

Example
Speaker A: Infectious diseases are caused by microbes.
Speaker B: What a ridiculous idea!
Speaker A: How so?
Speaker B: It's obviously ridiculous.

Answer 2

Appeal to the stone (argumentum ad lapidem)

Speaker B gives no evidence or reasoning, and when pressed, claims that Speaker A’s statement is inherently absurd, thus applying the fallacy.

Question 3

assuming that a claim is true because it has not been or cannot be proven false, or vice versa.

Answer 3

Argument from ignorance (appeal to ignorance, argumentum ad ignorantiam)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_ignorance

Question 4

I cannot imagine how this could be true, therefore it must be false.

Answer 4

Argument from (personal) incredulity (divine fallacy, appeal to common sense)

argumentum ad ignorantiam

Question 5

signifies that it has been discussed extensively until nobody cares to discuss it anymore; sometimes confused with proof by assertion

Answer 5

Argument from repetition (argumentum ad infinitum)

Question 6

where the conclusion is based on the absence of evidence, rather than the existence of evidence.

Answer 6

Argument from silence (argumentum ex silentio)

Question 7

assuming that the compromise between two positions is always correct.

Answer 7

Argument to moderation (false compromise, middle ground, fallacy of the mean, argumentum ad temperantiam)

Question 8

the evasion of the actual topic by directing an attack at your opponent.

ergo decedo – where a critic’s perceived affiliation is seen as the underlying reason for the criticism and the critic is asked to stay away from the issue altogether.

Answer 8

Argumentum ad hominem

Question 9

providing what is essentially the conclusion of the argument as a premise.

Answer 9

Begging the question (petitio principii)

Question 10

I need not prove my claim, you must prove it is false.

Answer 10

(shifting the) Burden of proof (see – onus probandi)

Question 11

when the reasoner begins with what he or she is trying to end up with; sometimes called assuming the conclusion.

Answer 11

Circular reasoning (circulus in demonstrando)

Question 12

where the consequence of the phenomenon is claimed to be its root cause.

Answer 12

Circular cause and consequence

Question 13

improperly rejecting a claim for being imprecise

Answer 13

Continuum fallacy (fallacy of the beard, line-drawing fallacy, sorites fallacy, fallacy of the heap, bald man fallacy)

Question 14

a faulty assumption that correlation between two variables implies that one causes the other.

Answer 14

Correlation proves causation (post hoc ergo propter hoc)

Question 15

here a correlative is redefined so that one alternative is made impossible.

Answer 15

Suppressed correlative

Question 16

the misleading use of a term with more than one meaning (by glossing over which meaning is intended at a particular time)

Answer 16

Equivocation

Question 17

a common ambiguity in syllogisms in which the middle term is equivocated

Answer 17

Ambiguous middle term

Question 18

changing the meaning of a word to deal with an objection raised against the original wording.

Answer 18

Definitional retreat

Question 19

submission of others to an argument too complex and verbose to reasonably deal with in all its intimate details.

Answer 19

Proof by verbosity (argumentum verbosium, proof by intimidation)

Question 20

a low probability of false matches does not mean a low probability of some false match being found.

Answer 20

Prosecutor’s fallacy