Logical Fallacies Flashcards
Argument from Authority
tempting the reader to agree based on the authority of a
- famous person
- entity
Slippery Slope
argument that suggests dire consequences from relatively minor causes
False Dichotomy
consists of a consideration of only the two extremes when there are one or more intermediate possibilities
Ad Hominem Argument
criticizes an idea by
- pointing something out about the person who holds the idea rather than directly addressing the actual merit of the idea
- attack the person not the idea
Ad Populum
emotional appeal
speaks to positive or negative concepts rather than the real issue at hand
ex. if you were a true American…
Red Herring
this is the diversionary tactic that avoids the key issue, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing the,
ex. mercury in the fish, but what about the fisher’s families
Hasty Gerneralization
deliberately leading readers to a conclusion by providing insufficient/selective evidence
ex. ping-pong is a dangerous sport
Syllogism
a false conclusion based on 2 true statements
A. historically, single women were the most common practitioners of witchcraft
B. Sarah Good is a single woman
C. Therefore… Sarah is a witch
Post Hoc
This is a conclusion that assumes that is A occured after B then B must have happened because of A
ex. I drank bottled water and now I am sick, so the water must have made me sick
Straw Man
this move oversimplifies an opponent’s viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument
ex. people who font support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor
Moral Equivalence
this fallacy compares minor misdeeds with major atrocities
Appeal to Ignorance
the arguer basically says “look there’s no conclusive evidence on the issue at hand. Therefore, you should accept my conclusion on this issue”
ex. people have been trying to prove that god does not exist but no one has yet been able to prove it. Therefore god exists
Miss America Fallacy
pageant happy land generic claims
