List of Fallacies Flashcards
Dogmatism
Insisting one’s beliefs are unquestionably correct, ignoring evidence or counterarguments.
Invincible Ignorance
Refusing to accept compelling contrary evidence or arguments.
Wishful Thinking
Believing something because one desires it to be true, disregarding evidence.
Cherry-Picking Evidence
Selecting only evidence that supports one’s argument while ignoring contradictory evidence.
Appeal to Consequences
Judging an argument’s validity based on the desirability of its conclusions, rather than evidence.
Confirmation Bias
Seeking and favoring information that confirms existing beliefs, ignoring or dismissing contradictory evidence.
Equivocation
Using a word or phrase with multiple meanings inconsistently within the same argument.
Ambiguity
Statements that have multiple valid interpretations, making the intended meaning unclear.
Vagueness
Lack of specificity or precision, making the exact meaning uncertain.
Argument from Ignorance
Claiming something is true because it hasn’t been proven false (or vice versa).
Shifting the Burden of Proof
Forcing others to disprove one’s claim rather than providing evidence oneself.
Special Pleading
Exempting one’s claim from the burden of proof without justification.
Straw Man Fallacy
Misrepresenting or exaggerating an opponent’s argument to easily refute it.
Misquoting Out of Context
Distorting meaning by isolating statements from their intended context.
False Dichotomy
Reducing complex issues to only two extreme options, ignoring nuanced perspectives.
Circular Reasoning (Begging the Question)
Assuming the conclusion within premises, offering no independent evidence.
Contradictory Premises
Using premises that logically conflict with each other.
Denying the Antecedent
Incorrectly assuming the falsity of an antecedent condition disproves the consequent result.
Red Herring
Introducing unrelated points to distract from the main issue.
Ad Hominem
Attacking the person rather than addressing their argument.
Genetic Fallacy
Evaluating an argument based solely on its origin rather than its evidence or merit.
Appeal to Questionable Authority
Using the testimony of an unqualified or irrelevant source as evidence.
Slippery Slope
Assuming a minor action will inevitably lead to extreme consequences without sufficient evidence.
False Dilemma
Presenting an issue as having only two extreme options, ignoring viable alternatives.
Hasty Generalization
Drawing broad conclusions from insufficient or unrepresentative evidence.
Anecdotal Evidence
Relying primarily on personal stories or isolated incidents as proof.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
Assuming one event caused another simply because it occurred first.
Ignoring Counterevidence
Disregarding opposing evidence or arguments.
Poisoning the Well
Preemptively discrediting the opponent rather than addressing their argument.
No True Scotsman
Arbitrarily redefining criteria to dismiss counterexamples.
Appeal to Ignorance
Assuming a claim is true (or false) simply because it hasn’t been proven otherwise.
False Compromise
Assuming the truth always lies between two opposing views.
Argument to Moderation
Assuming a moderate position is inherently correct without considering the evidence.
Moving the Goalposts
Arbitrarily changing the resolution criteria after they’ve been met.
Ignoring Resolution Criteria
Refusing to acknowledge agreed-upon criteria even when they’ve been satisfied.
