Critical Thinking Chapter #5

Innuendo (Rhetorical Moves)

"Bringing someone down" Is suggesting something denigrating about a person w/o explicitly stating it. EX: I'm sure Senator Braxton would never take a large bribe.

Euphemisms and Dysphemisms (Rhetorical Moves)

- Words used to convey (POSITIVE) or neutral attitudes or emotions in place of more negative ones. EX: Our administration may need to consider trying some form of revenue enhancement. - Words used to convey (NEGATIVE) or neutral attitudes or emotions in place of more negative ones. EXAMPLE: (+) full-figured, (-) fat

Faulty analogy (Unacceptable Premise)

An argument in which the thing being compared are not sufficiently similar in relevant ways.

Genetic Fallacy (Irrelevant Premise)

Arguing that a claim is true or false solely because of its origin. EX: Gerald says that the legal drinking age should be raised to 22. but what does he know? He drinks like a fish.

Appeal to popularity (Irrelevant Premise)

Arguing that a claim must be true or good just because it's part of a tradition. EX: The prime minister is lying about his intelligence briefings since almost everyone surveyed in national polls think he's lying.

Appeal to ignorance (Irrelevant Premise)

Arguing that a lack of evidence proves something EX: Gremlins exist, that's for sure. No scientist has ever proved that they don't exist.

Composition (Irrelevant Premise)

Arguing that what is true of the parts must be true of the whole. EX: Every player on the team is the best in the league. So the team itself is best in the league.

Division (Irrelevant Premise)

Arguing thats what is true of the whole must be true of the parts or that what is true of a group is true of individuals in the group EX: My sweater is blue. Therefore, the atoms that make up the sweater are blue.

Slippery slope (Unacceptable Premise)

Arguing, w/o good reasons, that taking a particular step will inevitably lead to a further, undesirable step (or steps)

False dilemma (Unacceptable Premise)

Asserting that there are only two alternatives to consider when there are actually more than two. EX: Ivan doesn't talk about political views. He's got to be either a liberal or a conservative. and he's certainly no liberal so he must be a conservative.

Tu QuoQue (Irrelevant Premise)

Hypocritical EX: Gerald says that the legal drinking age should be raised to 22. but what does he know? He drinks like a fish.

Ridicule (Rhetorical Moves)

Mocking, sarcasm, laughter a person or idea

Appeal to the person (Irrelevant Premise)

Rejecting claim by criticizing the person who makes it rather than the claim itself. EX: Kelly says many women in Muslim countries are discriminated against. but what the hell would she know, she's not muslim.

Hasty Generalization (Unacceptable Premise)

The drawing of a conclusion about a target group based on an inadequate sample size. EX: I use to work with an engineering major. And man they are socially inept.

Equivocation (Irrelevant Premise)

The use of a word in two different senses in an argument EX: Only man has morals. No woman is a man. therefore, no woman has morals.

Stereotyping (Rhetorical Moves)

an unwarranted (usually negative) conclusion or generalization about an entire group of people. EX: Why are Asians so good at math.

Appeal to tradition (Irrelevant Premise)

arguing that a claim must be true or good just because it's part of a tradition. EX: Does acupuncture work? Can it cure disease? of course. it has been used in China by folks practitioners for at least three thousand years.

Two wrongs make a right (Irrelevant Premise)

arguing that your doing something morally wrong is justified because someone else has done the same/similar thing.

Begging the question (Unacceptable Premise)

the attempt to establish the conclusion of an argument by using that conclusion as a premise. EX: Random drug testing in schools is very effective in reducing drug use because regular testing makes drug less likely.

Red Herring (Irrelevant Premise)

the deliberate raising of an irrelevant issue during an argument. EX: Professor I deserve a better grade than a D on my exam. Look my parents just got a divorce and if they find out about my grade they will fight more. give me a break.

Straw Man (Irrelevant Premise)

the distorting, weakening, or oversimplifying of someone's position so it can be more easily attacked or refuted. EX: Gerald says, students that cheat on exams should not be expelled. but it's ridiculous to to insist in never punishing for cheating.

Appeal to emotion (Irrelevant Premise)

the use of emotions as premises in an argument