Lesson 4 Fallacies

Question 1

Fallacies

Answer 1

are common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Fallacies can be either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points, and are often identified because they lack evidence that supports their claim. Avoid these common fallacies in your own arguments and watch for them in the arguments of others.

Question 2

Group think

Answer 2

occurs when a reader is encouraged to make a decision on an issue based on identification with a popular, high-status group

Question 3

Flattery

Answer 3

can be used as a fallacy when a writer or speaker claims that people with certain positive traits will naturally agree with the claims being made.

Question 4

Bandwagon

Answer 4

Suggests you should do something because everyone else does.

Question 5

Argument from Outrage

Answer 5

Occurs when a speaker or writer attempts to convince people by making them angry rather than by giving them a relevant argument.

Question 6

False authority

Answer 6

A celebrity is quoted or hired to support a product or idea in efforts to sway others opinions.

Question 7

Poisoning the well

Answer 7

Negative information is shared about an adversary so others will later discredit his or her opinions.
If negative information is shared about a person or group in hopes that it will discredit them later, that is called poisoning the well, and typically the information in question has little to do with whatever issues are at hand!

Question 8

Scapegoating

Answer 8

is a hostile tactic often employed to characterize an entire group of individuals according to the unethical or immoral conduct of a small number of individuals belonging to that group.

Question 9

Guilt by association

Answer 9

An adversary’s credibility is attacked because the person has friends or relatives who possibly lack credibility.

Question 10

Ad hominem

Answer 10

Attacking the person instead of the argument. For example, “You say I shouldn’t drink so much, but you drink every day.” The validity of the argument (drink less) can’t be based on the behavior of the person making the argument. Instead, the validity of the argument should be evaluated on its own terms—separate from the person making the claim.

Question 11

Begging the question

Answer 11

occurs when one restates the point in different words in order to support the point.

Question 12

Red Herring

Answer 12

is a logical fallacy in which irrelevant information is presented alongside relevant information, distracting attention from that relevant information. This may be done intentionally or unintentionally.

Question 13

False Analogy

Answer 13

a comparison is made between two things without enough evidence to support that comparison

Question 14

Either/Or

Answer 14

Making you think there are only two choices when really there are many.

Question 15

Self-contradiction

Answer 15

one part of the writer’s argument directly contradicts the overall argument.

Question 16

Non Sequitur

Answer 16

take two unrelated ideas and place them together in order to imply a cause/effect relationship

Question 17

Hasty Generalization

Answer 17

Drawing a broad conclusion based on a small minority. For instance, if you
witnessed a car accident between two women drivers, it would be a hasty generalization to conclude that all
women are bad drivers.

Question 18

Post Hoc

Answer 18

Also called false cause and effect; the writer argues that A caused B because B happened after A.

Question 19

Straw man

Answer 19

The writer rebuts a competing claim by offering an exaggerated or oversimplified version of it.
The writers rebuts a competing claim by offering an exaggerated or oversimplified version of it.

Question 20

Slippery slope

Answer 20

The writer suggests that taking a single action will lead to a sequence of negative consequences.

Question 21

Stereotyping

Answer 21

The writer uses a sweeping, general statement about a group of people in order to prove a point.

Question 22

Scare tactics

Answer 22

involve the use of frightening ideas to sway opinion.

Question 23

Inflation of Conflict

Answer 23

Using a conflict between two authorities as a reason to dismiss their arguments and knowledge.

Question 24

Appeal to Anonymous Authority

Answer 24

Using appeals to nonspecific groups.

Question 25

Appeal to Authority

Answer 25

Claiming to be an expert and, on that basis, to be deserving of trust. It’s important to remember that there are different kinds and levels of expertise: My weekend cooking class doesn’t make me an authority on recipes, though I can honestly say I’ve studied cooking. So, I might be an authority on some elements of cooking, but not all of cooking. When faced with an argument from authority, it is important to investigate the credentials of the speaker or writer.

Question 26

Argument from Authority

Answer 26

sing a statement taken out of context as authoritative support.

Question 27

Appeal to Nature

Answer 27

Suggesting a certain behavior or action is normal/right because it is “natural.”

Question 28

Argument from Ignorance

Answer 28

Assuming something is true because it has not been proven false.

Question 29

Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (With This, Therefore Because of This)

Answer 29

Confusing correlation with
causation—that is, thinking that because two things happened simultaneously, then one must have caused
the other. For example, “There has been an increase in both immigration and unemployment; therefore,
immigrants are taking away American jobs.” This statement is fallacious because there is no evidence to
suggest that immigration and unemployment are related to each other—other than that their rates increased
simultaneously.

Question 30

Argument by Dismissal

Answer 30

Rejecting an idea without providing a reason or explanation for its dismissal

Question 31

Argument by Emotive Language

Answer 31

Using emotional words that are not supported by evidence and/or are unconnected to the argument being made.

Question 32

Appeal to Pity

Answer 32

Drawing on irrelevant personal experiences or feelings in order to produce a sympathetic response.