Logical Fallacies

Question 1

Strawman

Answer 1

Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack

Question 2

False Cause

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Slippery Slope

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Ad Hominem

Answer 4

Attacking your opponents character or personal traits in an attempt to undermine their argument

Question 5

Special Pleading

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Loaded Questions

Answer 6

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

Question 7

The Gambler’s Fallacy

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Bandwagon

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Black or White

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Begging the Question

Answer 10

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

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

Composition/Division

Answer 12

Assuming that whats true about one part of something has to be applied to all, or other, parts of it

Question 13

Appeal to Nature

Answer 13

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

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 am emotional response on place of a valid or compelling argument

Question 16

The Fallacy Fallacy

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Tu Quoque

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Personal Incredulity

Answer 18

Saying that because one finds something difficult to understand that its therefore not true

Question 19

Burden of Proof

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Ambiguity

Answer 20

Using double meanings or ambiguities of language to mislead or misinterpret the truths

Question 21

Not True Scotsman

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Genetic

Answer 22

Judging something good or bad on the basis of where/whom it comes from

Question 23

The Texas Sharpshooter

Answer 23

Cherry picking data clusters to suit am argument, or finding a pattern to fit a presumption

Question 24

Middle Ground

Answer 24

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