Unit 5 Flashcards
Informal fallacy
Popular but invalid form of argument
Fallacy of distraction
points to information that is irrelevant to the conclusion
Ipse dixit
appeal to authority
Ad populum
appeal to the majority
Ad baculum
appeal to force
a thinly-veiled threat often used by parents
Ad hominem
verbal attack on a person rather than his argument
Bulverism
attacking a position by pointing out how the arguer came to hold it
Tu quoque
points to an inconsistency between a person’s argument and behavior
Ad ignorantiam
an argument from lack of evidence
Chronological snobbery
an argument based merely on the passage of time
Fallacies of ambiguity
Arguments that confuse the real issue with multiple, vague, or otherwise unclear meanings
Equivocation
Changing the definition of a term in the middle of an argument
Fallacy of Accent
Alters the meaning of a statement through changed emphasis
Fallacy of Amphiboly
A vagueness of grammar that disguises or alters meaning
Fallacy of Composition
Transferring attributes from parts to whole
Fallacy of Division
Transferring attributes from whole to part
Fallacies of Form
Arguments that fail to
establish their conclusions
because of a weakness in logical structure
Circular reasoning
Secretly assuming what you are trying to prove
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Improperly assuming that a sequence in time implies a cause and effect
Either/or
Making an argument based on a false dilemma
Complex Question
A question crafted to exclude any possible legitimate response
Apriorism
Hasty generalization
How can you identify fallacies?
Ask yourself
what the conclusion is and how it is reached
- What is he trying to prove?
- How is he trying to prove it?
