Logical fallacies Flashcards
Argumentum ad Hominem
Argument against the person: arguments attack a person’s character rather than reasoning the issues.
Red Herring
attempts to distract by shifting attention away from an important issue.
Ad Populum (Bandwagon)
an argument that appeals to the emotions or predicious of a certain group, despite being logically unsound.
Ad Misericordiam
an argument that appeals to pity.
Non-Sequitur
This fallacy draws conclusions from premises that do not necessarily apply.
False Dichotomy
The either/ or fallacy that makes the assumption that there are only 2 alternatives.
Straw Person
arguments excessively simplify an opponent’s view point to argue against it more easily.
Begging the Question (Circular Reasoning)
occurs when a writer assumes that a statement under dispute is in fact true; such an argument is circular.
Sentimental Appeals
tug at an audience’s heart strings to the point of ignoring facts, perhaps to keep the audience from disagreeing with the writer.
Equivocation (splitting hairs)
a statement that is partially correct but that [purposely obscures the entire truth.
Faulty Analogy
an inaccurate, innapropriate, or misleading comparison between two things.
Hasty Generalization
draws conclusions from scanty evidence.
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
After this, therefore because of this: an argument assumes causation based on the passing of time.
Ad Ignorantiam
An appeal to ignorance: an argument that claims something is true or false because there is no evidence to prove otherwise.
Reductio Ad Absurdum
Reduction to the absurd: a disproof by showing that the consequences of the proposition are absurd; or proof of a proposition by showing negation leads to controdiction.
Slippery Slope
when someone makes a claim about a series of events that would lead to one major event, usually a bad event.
Appeal to Emotion
(argumentum ad passiones) a logical fallacy characterized by the manipulation of the recipient’s emotions in order to win an argument, especially in the absence of factual evidence.
