Logical Fallacies Flashcards
Ad Hominem
Attacking the arguer instead of the argument
You are too young to know any better
Tu Quoque
Throwing the problem/criticism back onto the arguer
Oh, yeah? Well you lied too
Poisoning the Well
Discrediting a source before it can attack
Appeal to belief (Bandwagon, Appeal to Tradition)
Arguing that most people believe something, so it must be true
(We’ve been successful with this business models for years, so we should keep doing it.
Ad Populum
(Appeal to the people)—appealing to the beliefs of the majority
Appeal to Emotion
Not using logic to provoke an emotional response
(If we don’t do something, we are doomed)
Appeal to fear, hope, vanity, etc.
Circular Reasoning (Begging the Question)
Using the arguments conclusion in premise of the argument
This is a good idea because it gives us what we want. It gives us what we want, so it must be good
Either/Or (False Dichotomy, False Dilemma, False Binary)
Not considering all alternatives
You ar either with us or against us
Slippery Slope
Imagining an illogical chain of events
First we will lose our access, and then we will never get it back, which will result in chaos
Red Herring (Digression)
Arguing something different from the main argument
Okay, but what about this
Straw Man
Changing (modifying) the argument and attacking the new argument
(I can’t go to the game? You just want me to be miserable.)
Moving the Goal Posts
Changing the conditions of the original argument
Faulty Analogy
Using an analogy that is not equal to the argument
Running a family is like running a business
Argument from Ignorance
Arguing something is true because it cannot be proven false, or vice versa
(This test is rigged. Why else would people flumk it? Prove me wrong)
Hasty Generalization (Anecdotal)
Not using a sufficient sample size to justify the argument
Many people don’t agree with that
Argument
Using a singular experience to serve an entire argument
Cherry Picking
Using hand-picked evidence while ignoring contradictory evidence or even the majority of evidence
Confirmation Bias
Finding evidence by wittingly or unwittingly looking for evidence in a location where evidence is most likely to support your argument
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (Faulty Casual)
Assuming something is the cause of something else just because it came before it
(Everyone who takes Latin ends up in the top 10% of the school academically; therefore, Latin makes people smart.)
Faulty Appeal to Authority
Referencing an authority who is not reliable (biased, not an expert, outlier of the group)
(Mr. Birrer says that too much homework has a negative effect on mental health. (Mr. Birrer does not have a mental health degree))
Non Sequitur
(Does not follow) Having a conclusion that does not follow from the premises
I am tired, so we should not have the test
Half Truth
Misleading by leaving out key points/facts/contexts
Toothpaste is poison
