Fallacies and Rhetorical Device

Tu Quoque

"you do it too" A nuanced version of ad hominem in which a conclusion is disregarded due to the fact that its proponents do not always live up to it.

The Appeal to Heaven

A fallacy that claims to know that God or some higher power has endorsed some idea or course of action.

Cost Bias

A fallacy that is based on the assumption that higher cost means higher quality and/or that is higher cost implies similar greatness of some kind in the buyer.

The Straw Man

An argument based on an intentional misrepresentation of the opponent's argument.

Circular Reasoning

An argument in which the conclusion is presumed as a premise.

The Non Sequitur

An argument in which the premises do not follow each other or are unrelated, yet are used to establish a conclusion.

Appeal to Rigor

An argument that assumes that something is superior or better simply because it is more difficult.

Fallacy of Composition

An argument that assumes that what is true of the whole is true of all of the parts, or that what is true of the parts is true of the whole.

The Ad Hominem Argument

An argument that attacks the opponent directly instead of dealing with the issues at hand or the previous argument made.

Shifting the Burden of Proof

An argument that challenges the opponent to disprove a claim rather than demonstrating the claim. The burden of proof always lies with the person who makes the claim.

Argumentum ad Baculum

An argument that does not prove itself but merely uses threats or establishes dominance. Arguably a rhetorical device.

We Have to Do Something

An argument that employs immediacy (false or real) to justify its conclusions. the "do something" immediacy adds nothing to the rational content of the argument itself but is as persuasive as the veracity of the immediacy.

Moving the Goalposts

An argument that establishes a set of criteria and then changes the set as needed to advance its own conclusions.

Either/Or Reasoning

An argument that falsely limits the possibilities at hand and forces a decision between the limited options.

Attacking the Evidence

An argument that focuses on the strength of the evidentiary claims or data in order to distract from the primary issues.

Availability Bias

An argument that gives undue attention and importance to information that is immediately available at hand, particularly the first or last information received, and to minimize or ignore broader data or wider evidence that clearly exists but is not as easily remembered or accessed.

The Slippery Slope

An argument that insists one action will necessarily lead to another action, or a situation worsen in kind, without demonstrating the casual link or inevitability.

The Appeal to Nature

An argument that is based on the conviction that things have given natures (behave predictably according to the kind of thing is is) but fails to adequately define or describe what constitutes the nature to support the conclusion.

Measurability

An argument that is based on the premise that if something is not definitively measurable, in a discreet manner, then it either does not exist or is false.

Overgeneralization

An argument that makes use of a limited set of data to draw broad conclusions.

Playing on Emotion

An argument that makes use of emotional dynamics instead of making reasoned arguments.

The Bandwagon Fallacy

An argument that presumes that because something is widely held true or good means that it is indeed true or good.

The Affective Fallacy

An argument that presumes that one's emotions, urges, or feelings are innate and in every case self-validating and are thus immune to challenge or criticism.

The Appeal to Tradition

An argument that presumes that since something has a history or tradition then it is correct or better.

The Progressive Fallacy

An argument that presumes that things are always getting better or that there are forces at play whose outcomes is inevitable while discounting counter-evidence and failing to provide a casual theory.

Sui Generis Fallacy

An argument that rejects the validity of analogy and of inductive reasoning altogether because any given person, place, thing or idea under consideration is 'Sui genesis' i. e., different unique, in a class unto itself

The Argument from Consequences

An argument which attempts to distract from the issue at hand by focusing on possible positive or negative consequences.

Confused Consequences

An argument which confuses natural and imposed consequences.

The Red Herring

An irrelevant argument, attempting to mislead and distract an audience by bringing up an unrelated (often emotionally loaded) issue.

The Argument from Incredulity

Arguing that, because something is so incredible or amazing, it must be the result of superior, divine, alien or paranormal agency.

The Argument from Inertia

Assumes that the best way forward when in doubt is to continue on the same course of action.

Argumentum ex Silentio

Assuming that a claim is true based on the absence of textual or spoken evidence from an authoritative source, or vice versa.

The Argument from Ignorance

Assuming that a claim is true because it has not or cannot be proven false (or vice versa).

Argument to Moderation

Assuming that the compromise between two positions is always correct.

Rhetorical Device

Employed in communication to render an idea more interesting or an argument more persuasive but does not contain a specific logical error.

The Appeal to Authority

Insisting that a claim is true simply because a valid authority or expert on the issue said it was true, without any other supporting evidence offered.

The A Priori Argument

Making an argument that presumes a previous conclusion or authority. Starting with a given, pre-set belief, dogma, doctrine, scripture verse, or "fact" and then drawing conclusions that are not necessarily true or logically implied.

The Argument from Motives

The fallacy of declaring the arguments or opinions of another person false due to their alleged bad motives or bad character (or the opposite).

Equivocation

The fallacy of deliberately failing to define one's terms, or knowingly and deliberately using words in a different sense than the one the audience will understand.

The False Analogy

The fallacy of incorrectly comparing one thing to another in order to draw a false conclusion.

Guilt by Association

The fallacy of trying to refute or condemn someone's standpoint, arguments or actions by evoking the negative the negative judgement of those with whom the speaker is identified or of a group, party, religion or race to which he or she belongs or was once associated with.

The Paralysis of Analysis

The opposite of overgeneralization in which it is assumed that more date is required, even when an adequate sample has been collected.

Two-Sides Fallacy

The presentation of an issue that makes it seem to have two sides of equal weight or significance, when in fact a consensus or much stronger argument supports just one side.

Causation Fallacy

This is a set of fallacies in which there is some error related to how items are related to each other as cause or effect. Correlation does not equal causation. Causation must be proved separately from mere association.

The Appeal to Novelty

This is the fallacious preference for new things simply because they are new.

Mala Fides

Using an argument that the arguer himself or herself knows is not valid or does not believe.

The Excluded Outliers

Where one arbitrarily discards evidence, examples or results that disprove one's standpoint by simply describing them as "weird," "outliers," or "atypical"

The Appeal to Probability

a statement that takes something for granted because it would probably be the case (or might be the case).

Fallacy

an error in implicit or explicit reasoning that weakens an argument, undermines a conclusion, or renders the conclusion false.

The Fallacy Fallacy

The assumption that if an argument for some conclusion is fallacious, then the conclusion itself is fallacious or false.

The Organic Fallacy

The assumption that something is good or healthy because it's "natural." A tea made from poison ivy could be "all natural" "organic" and "green" but deadly to drink.

Confirmation Bias

The common tendency to notice, search out, select, share and argue from evidence that confirms one's own standpoint and beliefs, while ignoring contrary evidence. Arguments made from this tendency dismiss counter evidence.