Logical Fallacies Flashcards
Straw man
Refuting a statement by intentionally misrepresenting it
Slippery slope
Arguing that one step will surely lead to many others with catastrophic results
Special pleading
Applying some standards and rules to other people, while not applying them to yourself
Gamblers fallacy
If something has happened very frequently in the past, and it is assumed it will happen less frequently in the future
Black or white
Presenting two alternatives as the only possibilities, when more exist in between
False cause
Believing that a presumed or real relationship between two things is the cause of the other
Ad hominem
Attacking someone personally instead of their argument
Loaded question
Asking a question in such a way that assures one’s opponent appears guilty
Bandwagon
Assuming that the opinion of the majority is always valid
Begging the question
When an arguments premise assumes the truth of the conclusion instead of supporting it
Appeal to authority
Claiming that something is true because it is believed it promoted by someone “of authority”
Appeal to nature
Assuming something is good because it is “natural” or found in nature
Fallacy of composition
Believing that something is true for the whole because it is true for one part of something
Anecdote
Using a personal experience or isolated incident instead of facts and a solid argument
False analogy
Using and inappropriate or misleading compassion to prove a point
Appeal to emotion
Attempting to manipulate one’s opponent by eliciting an emotional response
Tu quoque
Trying to discredit an argument by pointing out that the opponent has not been totally consistent with their beliefs in the past
Burden of proof
Making a claim that needs justification and then demanding that the opponent justifies the opposite of the claim
No true Scotsman
Rendering an argument unfalsifiable because no matter how compelling the evidence is one simply shifts the goalpost so that it wouldn’t apply to a supposedly true example
The Texas sharpshooter
Occurs when the differences in data are ignored but the similarities are stressed
The fallacy-fallacy
Presuming that because the argument was poorly argued, the entirety of it must be wrong
Personal incredulity
Presuming that because a claim has been poorly argued or because the arguer doesn’t have much personal credibility the entire argument must be wrong
Circular reasoning
When the arguer begins an argument with their concluding point
Genetic fallacy
Disputing a fact based on someone or something’s history, origin or source rather than its current meaning or context
Middle ground
Asserts that the truth is essentially found in the middle of two arguments
Non-sequitur
A conclusion that is not aligned with previous statements or evidence
