Fallacies

"E" for Effort

(Also Noble Effort) The contemporary fallacy tat something must be right, true, valuable, or worthy of credit simply because someone has put so much sincere good-faith effort or even sacrifice and bloodshed into it.

Argument from Inertia

(also "Stay the course") The fallacy that it is necessary to continue on a mistaken course of action even after discovering it is mistaken, because changing course would mean admitting one's decision (or one's leader or one's faith)

Blind Loyalty

(also Blind Obedience, The "Team Player" appeal, or the Nuremberg Defense). The dangerous fallacy that an argument or action is right simply and solely because a respected leader or source (a President, expert, one's parents, one's own "side", team or country, one's boss or commanding officers).

The Half Truth

(also Card Stacking, Incomplete Information). A corrupt argument from logos, the fallacy of telling the truth but deliberately omitting important key details in order to falsify the larger picture and support a false conclusion.

Begging the Question

(also Circular Reasoning) Falsely arguing that something is true by repeating the same statement in different words.

Heroes All

(also Everybody's a Winner). A contemporary fallacy that everyone is above average or extraordinary. A corrupted argument from pathos (not wanting anyone to lose or to feel bad).

Either-Or Reasoning

(also False Dilemma, Black/White Fallacy). A fallacy that falsely offers only two possible options even though a broad range of possible alternatives are always really available.

Blood is Thicker Than Water

(also Favoritism Compadrismo, "for my friends, anything."). The reverse of the Ad Hominem fallacy, a corrupt argument from ethos where a statement, argument or action is automatically regarded as true, correct and above challenge because one is related to, or knows and likes, or is on the same team as the individual involved.

Bribery

(also Material Persuasion, Material Incentive, Financial Incentive). The fallacy of "persuasion" by bribery, gifts or favors, the reverse of the Argumentum Ad Baculam.

Argument from Motives

(also Questioning Motives). The fallacy of declaring a standpoint or argument invalid solely because of the evil, corrupt or questionable motives of the one making the claim.

Excluded Middle

A corrupted argument from logos that proposes that since a little of something good, more must be better (or if less is something good, none at all is even better).

Sending the Wrong Message

A dangerous fallacy that attacks a given statement or action, no matter how true, correct or necessary, because it will "send the wrong message."

Just in Case

A fallacy by which one's reasoning is based on a far-fetched or completely imaginary worst-case scenario rather than on reality. This plays on pathos (fear) rather than reason.

Testimonial

A fallacy in which support for a standpoint or product is provided by a well-known or respected figure (e.g. a star athlete or entertainer) who is not an expert and who was probably well paid to make the endorsement.

Shifting the Burden of Proof

A fallacy that challenges opponents to disprove a claim rather than asking the person making the claim to defend his/her own argument.

Essentializing

A fallacy that proposes a person or thing "is what it is and that's all that it is," and its core will always be the way it is right now. Also refers to the fallacy of arguing that something is a certain way "by nature", an empty claim that no amount of proof can refute.

The Paralysis of Analysis

A postmodern fallacy that since all data is never in any conclusion is always provisional, no legitimate decision can ever be made, and any action should always be delayed until forced by circumstances. A corruption of the argument from logos.

Political Correctness ("PC")

A postmodern fallacy that the nature of a thing or situation can be changed simply by changing its name.

No Discussion

A pure Argumentum ad Baculam that rejects reasoned dialogue, leaving either instant, unconditional compliance/surrender or death as the only two options for settling even minor differences.

Scare Tactic

A variety of Playing on Emotions, a raw appeal to fear. A corrupted argument from Pathos

Name-Calling

A variety of the "Ad Hominem" argument. The dangerous fallacy that, simply because of who you are, any and all arguments, disagreements or objections against your standpoint or actions are automatically racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, bigoted, discriminatory or hateful.

TINA (There Is No Alternative)

A very common contemporary extension of the either/or fallacy, quashing critical thought by announcing that there is no realistic alternative to a given standpoint, status or action, ruling any and all other options irrelevant, or announcing that a decision has been made and any further discussion is insubordination, disloyalty, or simply a waste of precious time when there's a job to be done.

Ad Hominem

Also, "personal attack," "poisoning the well." The fallacy of attempting to refute an argument by attacking the opposition's personal character or reputation, using a corrupted negative argument from ethos.

The Pout

An Argumentum ad Baculam that rejects reasoned dialogue, or responds to an opponent's rejection. The most benign nonviolent form of this fallacy is found in passive-aggressive behavior such as slowdowns, boycotts and strikes. The most violent form leaves a choice between instant, unconditional compliance/surrender or death as the only two options for settling even minor differences.

Appeal to Heaven

An extremely dangerous fallacy of asserting that God (or History, or higher power) has ordered, supports or approves one's own standpoint or actions so no further justification is required and no serious challenge is possible.

Red Herring

An irrelevant distraction, attempting to mislead an audience by bringing up an unrelated but usually emotionally loaded issue.

Diminished Responsibility

The common contemporary fallacy of applying a specialized judicial concept (that criminal punishment should be less if one's judgement was impaired) to reality in general.

The Complex Question

The fallacy of demanding a direct answer to a question that cannot be answered without first analyzing or challenging the basis of the question itself. "yes or no"

False Analogy

The fallacy of incorrectly comparing one thing to another in order to draw a false conclusion

Non Sequitur

The fallacy of offering reasons or conclusions that have no logical connection to the argument at hand

I Wish I Had a Magic Wand

The fallacy of regretfully (and falsely) proclaiming oneself powerless to change a bad or objectionable situation.

Straw Man

The fallacy of setting up a phony, ridiculous version of an opponent's argument and then proceeding to knock it down with a wave of the hand.

Reifying

The fallacy of treating imaginary categories as actual, material "things."

Guilt by Association

The fallacy of trying to refute or condemn someone's standpoint, arguments or actions by evoking the negative ethos of those with whom one associates or of a group, religion or race to which he or she belongs.

Taboo

The fallacy of unilaterally declaring certain arguments, standpoints or actions "sacrosanct" or not open to discussion, or arbitrarily taking some standpoints or options "off the table" beforehand.

Appeal to Pity

The fallacy of urging an audience to "root for the underdog" regardless of the issues at hand.

Appeal to Tradition

The fallacy that a standpoint, situation or action is right, proper and correct simply because it has "always" been that way, because people have "always" thought that way, or because it continues to serve one particular group very well.

Argumentum ex Silentio

The fallacy that if sources remain silent or can say nothing about a given subject or question this in itself proves something about the truth of the matter.

Argument from Ignorance

The fallacy that since we don't know (or can never know, or cannot prove) whether a claim is true or false (or that it must be true).

Argument from Consequences

The major fallacy of arguing that something cannot be true because if it were the consequences would be unacceptable.

Overgeneralization

The stupid but common fallacy of incorrectly applying one or two examples to all cases.

Lying with Statistics

Using true figures and numbers to "prove" unrelated claims.

MYOB

You're Not the Boss of Me; The Appeal to Privacy), The contemporary fallacy of arbitrarily terminating any discussion of one's own standpoints or behavior, no matter how absurd, dangerous, evil or offensive, by drawing a phony curtain of privacy around oneself and one's actions. A corrupted argument from ethos (your own).

Law of Unintended Consequences

a semi-humorous satirical corollary of "Murphy's Law," is elevated to to the status of an iron law of history. This fallacy arbitrarily declares a priori that since we can never know everything or foresee anything, sooner or later in today's "complex world" unforeseeable adverse consequences and negative side-effects ("unknown unknowns") will always end up blindsiding and overwhelming, defeating and vitiating any and all "do-gooder" human efforts to improve our world. So, instead of dreaming about a better future we must always expect defeat and be ready to roll with the punches by developing "grit" or "resilience" as a primary survival skill.

They're Not Like Us

A badly corrupted, racist argument from ethos where facts, arguments, experiences or objections are arbitrarily disregarded, ignored or put down without consideration because those involved "are not like us," or "don't think like us."

Transfer

A corrupt argument from ethos, falsely associating a famous person or thing with an unrelated standpoint.

Tu Quoque

A corrupt argument from ethos. The fallacy of defending a shaky or false standpoint or excusing one's own bad action by pointing out that one's opponent's acts or personal character are also open to question, or are perhaps even worse than one's own.

Bandwagon

The fallacy of arguing that because "everyone" supposedly thinks or does something, it must be right.

Soldiers' Honor

The ancient fallacy that all who wore a uniform, fought hard and followed orders are worthy of some special honor or glory or are even "heroes," whether they fought for freedom or fought to defend slavery, marched under Grant or Lee, Hitler, Stalin or McArthur, fought to defend their homes, fought for oil or fought to spread empire, or even fought against and killed U.S. soldiers!.

Playing on Emotion

The classic fallacy of pure argument from pathos, ignoring facts and calling on emotion alone.

Post Hoc Argument

The classic fallacy that because something comes at the same time or just after something else the first thing is caused by the second.

Reductionism

The fallacy of deceiving an audience by giving simple answers or slogans in response to complex questions, especially when appealing to less educated or unsophisticated audiences.

Slippery Slope

The common fallacy that "one thing inevitably leads to another."

Zero Tolerance

The contemporary fallacy of promising to devote unlimited resources to solve a limited or even imaginary problem.

Big Lie Technique

The contemporary fallacy of repeating a lie, slogan or deceptive half-truth over and over (particularly in the media) until people believe it without further proof or evidence.

Appeal to Closure

The contemporary fallacy that an argument, standpoint, action or conclusion must be accepted, no matter how questionable, or else the point will remain unsettled and those affected will be denied. This refuses to recognize the truth that some points will indeed remain unsettled, perhaps forever.

Finish The Job

The dangerous contemporary fallacy that an action or standpoint (or the continuation of the action or standpoint) may not be questioned or discussed because there is "a job to be done," falsely assuming all "jobs" are meaningless but never to be questioned.

We Have to Do Something

The dangerous contemporary fallacy that in moments of crisis one must do something, anything, at once, even if it is an overreaction, is totally ineffective or makes the situation even worse, rather than "just sit there doing nothing."

Where there's smoke, there's fire

The dangerous fallacy of drawing a snap conclusion and/or taking action without sufficient evidence.

Equivocation

The fallacy deliberately failing to define one's terms, or deliberately using words in a different sense than the one the audience will understand.

Argumentum ad Baculam

The fallacy of "persuasion" by force, violence, or threats.

Snow Job

The fallacy of "proving" a claim by overwhelming an audience with mountains of irrelevant facts, numbers, documents, graphs and statistics that they cannot be expected to understand or evaluate. This is a corrupted argument from logos.