Logical Fallacies

Question 1

Strawman

Answer 1

Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack.

Question 2

Slippery Slope

Answer 2

Asserting that if we allow A to happen, then Z will consequently happen too, therefore A should not happen.

Question 3

Special Pleading

Answer 3

Moving the goalposts to create exceptions when a claim is shown to be false.

ex. When a psychic was tested and shown wrong, he explained that “one had to have faith in his abilities for them to work”

Question 4

The Gambler’s Fallacy

Answer 4

Believing that ‘runs’ occur to statistically independent phenomena such as roulette wheel spins.

ex. after flipping a coin 5 times and getting heads every time, saying the next time has a higher chance of being tails when in reality it is still 50/50

Question 5

Black-or-White

Answer 5

Where two alternative states are presented as the only possibilities, when in face more possibilities exist.

Question 6

False Cause

Answer 6

Presuming that a real or perceived relationship between things means that one is the cause of the other.

Question 7

Ad Hominum

Answer 7

Attacking you opponent’s character or personal traits in an attempt to undermine their argument.

ex. why would you believe Russia’s argument, since it does not have similar values to West.

Question 8

Loaded Question

Answer 8

Asking a question that has an assumption built into it so that it can’t be answered without appearing guilty.

ex. “Have you stopped beating your wife?”

Question 9

Bandwagon

Answer 9

Appealing to popularity or the fact that many people do something as an attempted form of validation.

Question 10

Begging the Question

Answer 10

A circular argument in which the conclusion is included in the premise.

ex. God exists and is all powerful because the bible says so

Question 11

Appeal to Authority

Answer 11

Using the opinion or position of an authority figure, or institution of authority, in place of an actual argument.

Question 12

Appeal to Nature

Answer 12

Making the argument that because something is “natural” it is therefore valid, justified, inevitable, good or ideal.

Question 13

Composition/Division

Answer 13

Assuming that what’s true about one part of something has to be applied to all, or other, parts of it.

Question 14

Anecdotal

Answer 14

Using personal experience or an isolated example instead of a valid argument, especially to dismiss statistics.

Question 15

Appeal to Emotion

Answer 15

Manipulating an emotional response in place of a valid or compelling argument.

Question 16

Tu Quoque

Answer 16

Avoiding having to engage with criticism by turning it back on the accuser - answering criticism with criticism.

Question 17

Burden of Proof

Answer 17

Saying that the burden of proof lies not with the person making the claim, but with someone else to disprove.

Ex. Jon says a teapot is orbiting the sun and unless you can disprove him, his argument is valid.

Question 18

No True Scotsman

Answer 18

Making what could be called an appeal to purity as a way to dismiss relevant criticism or flaws or an argument.

ex. Bill says Scots don’t put sugar in their tea - Jon says, but I’m Scottish and I put sugar in my tea - to which Bill replies that no TRUE Scotsman puts sugar in their tea.

Question 19

The Texas Sharpshooter

Answer 19

Cherry-picking date clusters to suit an argument, or finding a pattern to fit a presumption.

Question 20

The Fallacy Fallacy

Answer 20

Presuming that because a claim has been poorly argued, or a fallacy has been made that it is necessarily wrong.

Question 21

Personal Incredulity

Answer 21

Saying that because one finds something difficult to understand that it’s therefore not true.

ex. evolution: an ameboa to human is too complicated of a process of random effects to be true (a monkey randomly hitting keyboard won’t write Shakespear)

Question 22

Ambiguity

Answer 22

Using double meanings or ambiguities of language to mislead or misrepresent the truth.

ex. the use of the word “increasing” without facts. Increasingly violent situation in Ukraine.

Question 23

Genetic

Answer 23

Judging something to be good or bad on the basis of where it comes from or from whom it comes.

Question 24

Middle Ground

Answer 24

Saying that a compromise, or middle point, between two extremes is the truth.