Logical Fallacies Flashcards
Strawman
Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack
False Cause
Presuming that a real or perceived relationship between things means that on is the cause of the other
Slippery Slope
Asserting that if we allow A to happen, then z will consequently happen too, therefore A should not happen
Ad Hominem
Attacking your opponents character or personal traits in an attempt to undermine their argument
Special Pleading
Moving the goalposts to create exceptions when a claim is shown to be false
Loaded Questions
Asking a question that has an assumption built into it so that it can’t be answered without appearing guilty
The Gambler’s Fallacy
Believing that ‘runs’ occur to statistically independent phenomena such as roulette wheel spins
Bandwagon
Appealing to popularity or the fact that many people do something as an attempted for of validation
Black or White
Where two alternative states are presented as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist
Begging the Question
A circular argument in which the conclusion is included in the premise
Appeal to Authority
Using the opinion or position of an authority figure, or institution of authority, in place of an actual argument
Composition/Division
Assuming that whats true about one part of something has to be applied to all, or other, parts of it
Appeal to Nature
Making the argument that because something is natural it is therefore valid, justified, inevitable, good or ideal
Anecdotal
Using personal experience or an isolated example instead of a valid argument, especially to dismiss statistics
Appeal to Emotion
Manipulating am emotional response on place of a valid or compelling argument
The Fallacy Fallacy
Presuming that because a claim has been poorly argued, or a fallacy has been made that it is necessarily wrong
Tu Quoque
Avoiding having to engage with criticism by turning it back on the accuser
Personal Incredulity
Saying that because one finds something difficult to understand that its therefore not true
Burden of Proof
Saying that the burden of proof lies not with the person making the claim, but with someone else to disprove
Ambiguity
Using double meanings or ambiguities of language to mislead or misinterpret the truths
Not True Scotsman
Making what could be called an appeal to purity as a way to dismiss relevant criticisms or flaws of an argument
Genetic
Judging something good or bad on the basis of where/whom it comes from
The Texas Sharpshooter
Cherry picking data clusters to suit am argument, or finding a pattern to fit a presumption
Middle Ground
Saying that a compromise, or middle point, between two extremes is the truth
