textbook definition Flashcards
hasty generalization
Making assumptions about a whole group
or range of cases based on a sample that is
inadequate (usually because it is atypical or just too
small).
Example: “My best friend said her English class was
hard, and the one I’m in is hard, too. All
English classes must be hard!”
missing the point
The premises of an argument do
support a particular conclusion–but not the
conclusion that the arguer actually draws.
Example: “The seriousness of a punishment should
match the seriousness of the crime. Right now, the
punishment for drunk driving may simply be a fine.
But drunk driving is a very serious crime that can
kill innocent people. So, the death penalty should
be the punishment for drunk driving.”
post hoc
Assuming that since B comes after A, A caused B.
(wtf is this definition lmao)
EXAMPLE: The increase in taxes might or might not be one factor in the rising crime rates, but the argument hasn’t shown us that one caused the other.
apeeal to pity
- Definition: The appeal to pity takes place when an arguer tries
to get people to accept a conclusion by making them feel sorry
for someone. - Example: “I know the exam is graded based on performance,
but you should give me an A. My cat has been sick, my car broke
down, and I’ve had a cold, so it was really hard for me to
study!”
slipper slope
The arguer claims that a sort of chain reaction,
usually ending in some dire consequence, will take place, but
there’s really not enough evidence for that assumption.
Example: “Animal experimentation reduces our respect for
life. If we don’t respect life, we are likely to be more and more
tolerant of violent acts like war and murder. Soon our society
will become a battlefield in which everyone constantly fears
for their lives. It will be the end of civilization. To prevent this
terrible consequence, we should make animal experimentation
illegal right now.”
weak analogy
- Definition: Many arguments rely on an analogy between two or more
objects, ideas, or situations. If the two things that are being compared
aren’t really alike in the relevant respects, the analogy is a weak one,
and the argument that relies on it commits the fallacy of weak analogy. - Example: “Guns are like hammers–they’re both tools with metal parts
that could be used to kill someone. And yet it would be ridiculous to
restrict the purchase of hammers–so restrictions on purchasing guns
are equally ridiculous.”
appeal to authority
- Definition: Often we add strength to our arguments by
referring to respected sources or authorities and
explaining their positions on the issues we’re discussing. - Example: “We should abolish the death penalty. Many
respected people, such as actor Guy Handsome, have
publicly stated their opposition to it.”
appeal to ignorance
- Definition: In the appeal to ignorance, the arguer basically says,
“Look, there’s no conclusive evidence on the issue at hand. Therefore,
you should accept my conclusion on this issue.” - Example: “People have been trying for centuries to prove that God
exists. But no one has yet been able to prove it. Therefore, God does
not exist.”
straw man
- Definition: One way of making our own arguments
stronger is to anticipate and respond in advance to the
arguments that an opponent might make. The arguer
sets up a wimpy version of the opponent’s position and
tries to score point by knocking it down. - Example: “Teachers want to ban all video games and
punish everyone who plays them! But such harsh
measures are surely inappropriate, so the teachers are
wrong: video games and its players should be left in
peace.”
red herring
- Definition: Partway through an argument, the arguer goes off on
a tangent, raising a side issue that distracts the audience from
what’s really at stake. Often, the arguer never returns to the
original issue. - Example: “Grading this exam on a curve would be the most fair
thing to do. After all, classes go more smoothly when the students
and the professor are getting along well.” Let’s try our premise-
conclusion outlining to see what’s wrong with this argument:
false dichotomy
- Definition: In false dichotomy, the arguer sets
up the situation, so it looks like there are only
two choices. The arguer then eliminates one of
the choices, so it seems that we are left with
only one option: the one the arguer wanted us
to pick in the first place. - Example: “Austin High School is in bad shape.
Either we tear it down and put up a new
building, or we continue to risk students’ safety.
Obviously, we shouldn’t risk anyone’s safety, so
we must tear the building down.”
begging the question
- Definition: A complicated fallacy, an argument that begs the question asks the reader to simply accept the conclusion without providing real evidence
- Examples: “Active euthanasia is morally acceptable. It is a decent, ethical thing to help
another human being escape suffering through death.” Let’s lay this out in premise-
conclusion form:
equivocation
- Definition: Equivocation is sliding between two or more
different meanings of a single word or phrase that is
important to the argument. - Example: “Giving money to charity is the right thing to
do. So, charities have a right to our money.”
