English Composition: Logical Fallacies

Example of Hasty Generalization (Stereotyping)

- All women are bad/good drivers - MY EXAMPLE: Everyone over 6'3 could be an NBA player

Example of Post Hok

- Bush was elected and then 911 occurred so 911 is the result of Bush being elected. - MY EXAMPLE: I drank the night before a math test and failed the test. Drinking may have been the cause of failing but it is also possible that you just did not prepare well enough.

Example of Ad Populum

- If everyone jumped off a bridge would you?

Example of Slippery Slope

- Legalize weed then everyone will begin using crack because weed is a gateway drug - MY EXAMPLE: If America changed the legal drinking age to 18 then everyone would become alcoholics

Example of Red Herring

- MY EXAMPLE: Shifting argument from driving fast is dangerous to driving is dangerous

Example of False Analogy

- We can send a man to the moon but we cannot cure the common cold (unrelated things) - How come I paid so much money for a "safe" car but I got in a car accident? Kind of car has nothing to really do with driving ability

Example of Begging the Question (Circular Reasoning)

- What makes a good athlete? Someone who is athletic - How do we know God exists? He is in the bible and the bible is authentic because God wrote it (Assume existence of God to prove he exists) - MY EXAMPLE: How do you become a good musician? By being musical or being good at playing music

Example of Ad Hominem

- Who should get the toy (Between you and your brother)? you don't get it so you call your brother ugly - MY EXAMPLE: You and somebody else are arguing over politics and you clearly disagree. Eventually, you resort to attacking them personally and not focusing on the validity of their argument.

Logical Fallacy

An error in your logic or the logic of someone/something else. Logical Fallacy leads to the breakdown of logical progression and can be often caused by emotional thinking/actions

Appeal to False Authority

Appeal to someone with apparent authority but it is false

Either/Or

Breaking things down into either "This or that" where grey area actually exists. Usually two choices are presented where there are actually multiple other choices.

Example of Appeal to False Authority

Celebrities selling stuff - MY EXAMPLE: Cam Newton selling Grrek Yogurt but he is not an expert nor does he most likely consume it.

False Analogy

Comparing two unrelated things to prove a point.

Hasty Generalization (Stereotyping)

Everyone in group fits one sterotype

Example of Either/Or

MY EXAMPLE: Would you like to go to the phone store or the market? In most cases it is likely that you could do both.

Post Hok Ergo Propter Hok (After this therefore because of this)

One thing happened because of something before it. This can be true but is not necessarily the case in all or most scenarios.

Ad Hominem (To the person/man)

Resorting to an emotional argument and abandoning logic. Essentially when you attack the person and not their arugemnt.

Genetic Fallacy

Something is bad/evil based off its history

Example of Genetic Fallacy

The VW beetle was a nazi car so some refuse to drive it. My Example: You could say this about Germans due to the Holocaust

Example of Straw Man

We should not add to the nation's defense budget...so we should be defenseless? - MY EXAMPLE: You should not drive while drunk...are you saying that people should not drink alcohol

Slippery Slope

When you go from "Point A" in an argument to a radical/extreme conclusion with no valid evidence. Often the words everyone and everybody are used.

Begging the Question (Circular Reasoning)

When your argument goes in a circle and does not progress forward

Red Herring

You distract your opponent to win an argument. You realize you are losing so you try to divert their attention onto something different. Also called going off on a tangent

Ad Populum (Bandwagon)

You do something because it is popular amongst others, not because you should orhave logically thought to.

Example of Logical Fallacy

idk yet

Straw Man

oversimplifying an argument to make it easier to defeat.