Logical Fallacies

Question 1

Hasty generalization

Answer 1

A conclusion or judgement made from insufficient evidence. When one piece of evidence or information is used to make a broad conclusion or statement.

Question 2

Cherry picking

Answer 2

Picking and choosing only some of the available evidence in order to present only points most favorable o your point of view. Knowingly choosing favorable information and ignoring unfavorable information; the argument is not supported by available research.

Question 3

Straw man

Answer 3

An oversimplification of an opposing perspective so that it becomes easy to attack. Inaccurately represents the opposing argument, thus one is not actually addressing the argument. Setting up counterarguments as weak so they can easily be rejected.

Question 4

Red herring

Answer 4

Changing topics in order to avoid the point being discussed. Introducing a false or irrelevant claim in order to distract readers from the main argument. A way to avoid a question.

Question 5

Ad hominem

Answer 5

Latin for “against the man.” Making a personal attack rather than engaging with someone’s ideas.

Question 6

Ad populum

Answer 6

Making an argument solely on the perceived shared beliefs of a group. Misused ethos - the author references the values that the audience cares about so they think only about the values and not about the content of the argument.

Question 7

False dilemma / False dichotomy / Either-or

Answer 7

This is an argument that attempts to create a situation of absolutes with no options in between. Either we intervene or we are basically no better than the Nazis.” Assumes that there are only two options and nothing in between.

Question 8

Slippery slope

Answer 8

This is a fallacy that assumes that one thing is going to have a series of consequences or effects-often leading to a worst case scenario. False because: 1.) it’s impossible to predict the future absolutely, 2.) it is illogical to suggest that one action will always necessarily lead to the worst possible outcome, 3.) it assumes a very specific chain of future events.

Question 9

Bandwagon

Answer 9

This is a fallacy that assumes that one will follow the crowd, sort of by peer pressure. Assumes that the reader will only follow the crowd and abandon free thought.

Question 10

False authority

Answer 10

Attempts to use the credentials of one to support another claim even when those credentials are not valid for the argument at hand.

Question 11

Dogmatism

Answer 11

Relies on the assumption that the truth is self-evident and needs no further explanation.

Question 12

Stacking the deck

Answer 12

Used when only one line of reasoning or evidence is used to support a claim or argument. Ignores oppositional reasoning or counter-evidence.

Question 13

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

Answer 13

Latin for “after this, therefor because of this.” Someone makes a claim that one event caused another, when it is instead a correlation.

Question 14

Begging the question

Answer 14

Speaker assumes that the conclusion of their argument is valid without proving lines of reasoning. Many times this is just a repetitious restatement of the conclusion, and becomes a circular argument.

Question 15

Equivocation

Answer 15

Relies on the ambiguous use of a key term in an argument thereby misleading the reader/listener.

Question 16

Non sequitur (it does not follow)

Answer 16

Skips or confuses logical steps thereby making an argument appear hollow. The result is often a conclusion that does not follow from the evidence provided.

Question 17

False analogies

Answer 17

Two situations are wrongly made to resemble each other. Example: “Japan quite fighting in 1945 when we dropped nuclear bombs on them. We should use nuclear bombs against other countries.”

Question 18

Polarization

Answer 18

Resorts to the exaggerations of positions or groups by situating their claims as extreme or irrational. Example “Feminists are man-haters.”

Question 19

Appeal to tradition

Answer 19

“We’ve always done it this way.” Arguing that since something was done a certain way in the past, it should be continued to be done that way.

Question 20

Appeal to history

Answer 20

“If something happened before, it will happen again.” Arguing that what has happened in the past is always a guide to the future and/or the past will repeat itself.

Question 21

Appeal to emotion

Answer 21

Arguing through tugging on peoples’ emotions rather than through logical reasoning/argument.

Question 22

Appeal to authority

Answer 22

Trying to persuade a reader to accept an argument based on their respect for authority rather than logic.

Question 23

Restricting the options

Answer 23

Presents a limited picture of choices available in a situation in order to support one particular option.

Question 24

Conflation

Answer 24

Putting two or more things together that aren’t related. Example: Obesity often conflated with lack of fitness.

Question 25

Circular argument

Answer 25

Where a reason is the same as the conclusion, so the argument doesn’t go anywhere as it just restates the argument as opposed to proving it.