Logical Fallacies Flashcards
What are logical fallacies?
Misconceptions from flawed reasoning; tricks or illusions in thought often obfuscating fact or truth
What is the difference between a formal fallacy and an informal fallacy?
A formal fallacy is an error in an argument’s logical structure, making it invalid regardless of the content.
An informal fallacy is a flaw in reasoning that stems from the content or context, not the argument’s form.
What is Denying the Antecedent?
Denying the Antecedent is a formal fallacy where a “then” statement is assumed to be consistent with the “if” statement.
Example: “If it’s raining, I’ll stay inside; it’s not raining, so I won’t stay inside.” This ignores other reasons to stay in.
Pronuncation: ”ante-seedant”
What is Affirming the Consequent?
A formal fallacy where someone assumes that if the “then” part of a statement is true, the “if” part must also be true
Example: “If I study, I’ll pass; I passed, so I must have studied”—which overlooks other ways to pass
What is ad hominem?
It means criticizing a person’s character, skills, etc. in order to undermine their argument.
What are informal fallacies?
Error in reasoning due to problems with content, context or assumptions.
What is a Genetic Fallacy?
Is it the judgment or assessment of morality based on where it originates from.
What is a Genetic Fallacy?
It is the judgment or assessment of morality based on where it originates from.
Example: ‘I can’t trust my doctor, he’s fat.’
What is an Appeal to Authority Fallacy?
The argument that if one credible source believes something, it must be true.
What is the motte-and-bailey tactic?
Arguing a more moderate position if an extreme position is countered.
What are logical fallacies?
Tricks or illusions in thought often obfuscating fact or truth.
What is a Motte-and-Bailey?
A rhetorical strategy where a speaker retreats to a broadly acceptable claim (motte) to justify a more extreme position (bailey).
Example: “The government should censor speech that I find offensive.” (Bailey) vs. “Well, everyone agrees we shouldn’t allow hate speech, right?” (Motte)
What is special pleading?
Special pleading is a logical fallacy where someone applies a rule or principle to others but makes an exception for themselves or their argument without valid justification. It often involves dismissing counterarguments by introducing ad hoc reasoning that isn’t consistently applied.
For example, if someone claims, “All lies are bad, but when I lie, it’s different because I have a good reason,” they are engaging in special pleading.
What is a formal fallacy?
Errors in the structure of an argument.
What does it mean to beg a question?
It means to assume the truth of what you’re setting out to prove.
Define an Understatement.
Presenting something as less significant or important than it actually is.
What is the Slippery Slope fallacy?
The slippery slope fallacy consists of arguments that reason if something S were to happen, then something else P will eventually occur, so we should prohibit S from happening.
Describe “overstating.”
Emphasizing beyond its actual significance.
What is an anecdotal fallacy?
Using a personal experience or isolated example as evidence to generalize or refute a broader claim, ignoring more reliable data or evidence.
What is a strawman fallacy?
A strawman fallacy involves twisting someone’s argument into a weaker version to attack, avoiding their actual point.
