Lesson 4 Fallacies Flashcards
Fallacies
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.
Group think
occurs when a reader is encouraged to make a decision on an issue based on identification with a popular, high-status group
Flattery
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.
Bandwagon
Suggests you should do something because everyone else does.
Argument from Outrage
Occurs when a speaker or writer attempts to convince people by making them angry rather than by giving them a relevant argument.
False authority
A celebrity is quoted or hired to support a product or idea in efforts to sway others opinions.
Poisoning the well
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!
Scapegoating
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.
Guilt by association
An adversary’s credibility is attacked because the person has friends or relatives who possibly lack credibility.
Ad hominem
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.
Begging the question
occurs when one restates the point in different words in order to support the point.
Red Herring
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.
False Analogy
a comparison is made between two things without enough evidence to support that comparison
Either/Or
Making you think there are only two choices when really there are many.
Self-contradiction
one part of the writer’s argument directly contradicts the overall argument.
Non Sequitur
take two unrelated ideas and place them together in order to imply a cause/effect relationship
Hasty Generalization
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.
Post Hoc
Also called false cause and effect; the writer argues that A caused B because B happened after A.
Straw man
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.
Slippery slope
The writer suggests that taking a single action will lead to a sequence of negative consequences.
Stereotyping
The writer uses a sweeping, general statement about a group of people in order to prove a point.
Scare tactics
involve the use of frightening ideas to sway opinion.
Inflation of Conflict
Using a conflict between two authorities as a reason to dismiss their arguments and knowledge.
Appeal to Anonymous Authority
Using appeals to nonspecific groups.
