Logical Fallacies

false cause

"Napoleon became a great emperor because he was so short."

red herring

2012 Presidential Debate: In the second debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, a woman asks how the two men will "limit the availability of assault weapons." Neither man answered that specific question. Instead, Obama talked about catching violence before it gets out of control, and Romney focused on good schools and raising children in two-parent homes.

false choice

Are you a Republican or a Democrat?

non sequitur

Buddy Burger has the greatest food in town. Buddy Burger was voted #1 by the local paper. Therefore, Phil, the owner of Buddy Burger, should run for president of the United States.

false equivalence

Employees are like nails. Just as nails must be hit in the head in order to make them work, so must employees.

slippery slope

If Texas adopts a personal income tax, I'm moving away. An income tax at the state level is just a first step to communism.

hasty generalization

My father smoked four packs of cigarettes a day since age fourteen and lived until age sixty-nine. Therefore, smoking really can't be that bad for you.

appeal to ignorance

Since you haven't been able to prove your innocence, I must assume you're guilty.

straw man

Smith: We must have equal consideration for same sex couples as we do for heterosexual couples. It is unconstitutional to deny rights to these Americans. Jones: If you want men to be able to wear wedding dresses that's fine, but I don't want my tax dollars going to some ridiculous liberal idea.

ad hominem

Socrates' arguments about human excellence are rubbish. What could a man as ugly as he know about human excellence.

circular reasoning

We sin because we're sinners.