Logical Fallacies examples Flashcards
It makes no difference if he was guilty of Nazi war crimes. The man is 88 years old and in frail health, so he should not be made to stand trial.
ad misericordiam
How could Tom accuse her of being careless? He’s such a slob.
ad hominem
Paula is 16 years old and lives on welfare with her mother; she suffers serious depression and functions like a child half her age. She should not be sent to adult court, where she will be tried for robbery, so she can spend her formative years behind bar.
ad misericordiam
Of course he doesn’t see anything wrong with violent movies. The guy’s a warmonger.
ad hominem
We cannot expect Ms. Lucas to know what it means to feel oppressed; she is the president of a large bank.
ad hominem
High school students don’t learn anything these days. Today’s teachers are academically underprepared.
ad populum
Everybody’s going to the System of a Down concert.
bandwagon appeals
That foolish law should be repealed.
begging the question
People who are happy with their work are cheerful because they enjoy what they’re doing.
circular reasoning
If torture can save the lives of those who would be killed by terrorists, then the government should employ torture as a preemptive measure of protection.
dicto simpliciter
If you want to see the crime rate drop, tell Hollywood to stop making movies that glorify violence.
ad populum
Nobody will go along with that proposal.
bandwagon appeals
She is compassionate because she’s a woman.
begging the question
Smoking is bad for you because it ruins your health.
circular reasoning
Exercise is good for people. Now that Bob is out of the hospital, he should get back to the treadmill.
dicto simpliciter
Doctors oppose health reform because it will reduce their large incomes.
ad populum
The majority of the American people want a constitutional amendment outlawing flag burning.
bandwagon appeals
If you haven’t written short stories, you shouldn’t be allowed to criticize them.
begging the question
Bank robbers should be punished because they broke the law.
circular reasoning
Guns kill. So we cannot allow the average citizen to possess a weapon.
dicto simpliciter