Rhetorical/Logical Fallacies 1-18

Appeal to Ignorance

definition: A claim is true simply because it has not been proven false (or false because it has not been proven true). example: "Nobody has proven to me there are aliens, so there are NO aliens."

Appeal to Fear

definition: An argument is made by increasing fear and prejudice toward the opposing side. example: "My mom is this college's biggest donor, so you should really reconsider that C you gave me on my latest paper."

Appeal to Consequences of a Belief

definition: Arguing a belief is false because it implies something you'd rather not believe. example: "That can't be the Senator on that audio tape. If it were, he'd be lying about what he says his racial beliefs are, And he's not the kind of man who would lie."

Appeal to Probability

definition: Assuming because something could happen, it will inevitably happen. example: "The odds of winning the lottery are one in a million. A million tickets were sold. Someone must have won."

Appeal to Pity

definition: Attempt to induce pity to sway opponents. example: "The former dictator is an old, dying man. It's wrong to make him stand trial for these alleged offenses."

Appeal to Incredulity

definition: Because a claim sounds unbelievable, it must not be true. example: "The eye is an incredibly complex biomechanical machine with thousands of interlocking parts. How could that exist without an intelligent designer?"

Appeal to Authority

definition: Claiming something is true because an "expert", whether qualified or not, says it is. example: "Over 400 prominent scientists and engineers dispute global warming."

Appeal to Tradition

definition: Claiming something is true because it's (apparently) always been that way. example: "No one in this family has ever been divorced; therefore, you need to work out your marital problems. We don't get divorced!"

Appeal to Common Practice

definition: Claiming something is true because it's commonly practiced. example: "This bank has some problems with corruption. But there's nothing going on here that doesn't go on in all the other banks."

Appeal to Popular Belief

definition: Claiming something is true because the majority of people believe it. example: "Everyone knows milk is good for your bones."

Appeal to Spite

definition: Dismissing a claim by appealing to personal bias against the claimant. example: "Don't you just hate how those rich liberal-elite Hollywood actors go on TV to promote their agendas?"

Appeal to Nature

definition: Making your claim seem more true by drawing a comparison with the "good" natural world. example: "Antibiotics are unnatural, so they're bad for you."

Appeal to Ridicule

definition: Presenting the opponent's argument in a way that makes it appear absurd. example: "Faith in God is like believing in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy."

Appeal to Wishful Thinking

definition: Suggesting a claim is true or false just because you strongly hope it is. example: She wouldn't lie. She's our governor and a good American."

Appeal to Novelty

definition: Supposing something is better because it is new or newer. example: "Awesome! The latest version of this operating system is going to make my computer faster and better...."

Appeal to Money

definition: Supposing that, if someone is rich or something is expensive, then it affects the truth of the claim. example: "If it costs more, it must be better."

Appeal to Flattery

definition: Using an irrelevant compliment to slip in an unfounded claim which is accepted along with the compliment. example: "Intelligent and sophisticated readers will of course recognize a fallacy like this when they read one."

Appeal to Anonymous Authority

definition: Using evidence from an unnamed "expert" or "study" or generalized group (like "scientists") to claim something is true. example: "They say that it takes 7 years to digest chewing gum."