Logical Fallacies

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence. Ex: Some teenagers in our community recently vandalized the park downtown. Teenagers are so irresponsible and destructive.

Complex Question Fallacy

A fallacy of form where a question is crafted to exclude any possible legitimate response - also known as a "loaded question." Something unstated is being assumed which causes a fallacy. Ex: Did the pollution you caused increase or decrease your profits?

Special Pleading

A fallacy of logical argument in which the writer suppresses evidence that contradicts the conclusion in an inductive argument. Ex: Students who break the rules should be suspended from school.

Slippery Slope

A fallacy that assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented Ex: If we allow the children to choose the movie this time, they are going to expect to be able to choose the school they go to or the doctors they visit.

Red Herring

A fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion Ex: There is a lot of commotion regarding saving the environment. We cannot make this world an Eden. What will happen if it does become Eden? Adam and Eve got bored there!

Straw Man

A fallacy that occurs when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea. Ex: Medicare for All.

False Authority

A fallacy that offers the speaker/writer's authority as the sole reason for believing a claim Ex: Movie star: the peanut butter and celery diet is a great way to lose weight. Buy my new book for instructions on how to do it.

False Delimma

Acting as if there are only limited (two) alternatives to an issue although other alternatives are available. Ex: If noise cannot be explained by the plumbing or the furnace, the noise was caused by ghosts

Genetic Fallacy

Arguments that state that an idea should be discounted simply because of its source or origin. Ex: My parents told me that God exists; therefore, God exists

Texas Sharpshooter

Cherry-picking data clusters to suit an argument, or finding a pattern to fit a presumption. Ex: Shooting and then drawing your target around your bullet holes

Poisoning the Well

Discrediting a person's claim by presenting unfavorable information (true or false) about the person. Person B attacking Person A before Person A can make his/her claim. Example: 'John, an abusive alcoholic, will now give his argument for the legalization of public drinking'. Ex: CITY COUNCILMAN: The Mayor's a very good talker. Yes, talk he can do . . . and do very well. But when it comes time for action, that's a different matter.

Appeal to Popularity

The fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a substantial number of people believe it. Ex: Everyone says that it's okay to lie as long as you don't get caught.

Appeal to Pity

This type of fallacy uses the audiences's sympathy, concern, or guilt in order to overwhelm their sense of logic Ex: If we don't adopt that puppy today, they might put him down. Do you want to be responsible for that?

ad hominem

a fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute Ex: "Well, you're a thief and a criminal, so there goes your argument."

appeal to tradition

a fallacy which assumes that something old is automatically better than something new Ex: Church should begin at 11am because that's the time that we have always begun the church service.

non sequitur fallacy

an inference that does not follow logically from a previous statement Ex: Maria drives a car. She must be a wealthy person.

division fallacy

argues the whole is the same as its parts Ex: The universe has existed for fifteen billion years. The universe is made out of molecules. Therefore, each of the molecules in the universe has existed for fifteen billion years.

Guilty by Association

fallacy. when arguer concludes that one person is guilty in virtue of some relationship irrelevant to the truth of the conclusion Ex: Hanging out with troublemakers who never do their homework and thus being disliked by your teacher because of who your friends are even though you tend to do OK in school and do your homework.

post hoc fallacy

false assumption that because one event occurred before another event, it must have caused that event Ex: Every time that rooster crows, the sun comes up. That rooster must be very powerful and important!"

Faulty Analogies

inaccurate or inconsequential comparisons between objects or concepts Ex: Medical Student: "No one objects to a physician looking up a difficult case in medical books. Why, then, shouldn't students taking a difficult examination be permitted to use their textbooks?"

Circular Argument

states a conclusion as part of the proof of the argument Ex: You must obey the law, because it's illegal to break the law.

Equivocation

the use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; prevarication Ex: The laws imply lawgivers. There are laws in nature. Therefore there must be a cosmic lawgiver.

Appeal to Force

trying to get someone to accept a proposition on the basis of a threat Ex: If you don't let me win the race, I can't be your friend anymore. Letting me win the race makes sense, don't you think?'

moving the goalposts

unfairly changing the agreed rules or conditions during a course of action Ex: Suppose an alleged psychic agreed to be put under a test which demonstrated that his powers were fraudulent, only for him to argue that the test was unfair and that one had to have faith in his powers for them to work.