Informal Fallacies

What is a fallacy?

Fallacies are arguments that appeal to be correct, but are

actually incorrect.

Formal Fallacy the form of argument is invalid.

Informal fallacy is an argument whose premises fail to support

the proposed conclusion.Fallacies of ambiguity include words or phrases that are

sloppy or have poor grammatical structure.Equivocation happens when someone is using a key term in

an argument; however the meaning of the key term changes

during the course of the argument.Amphiboly-grammatical error in the premises allows morethan once conclusion to be drawn.Fallacy of accent-occurs when passes are used out of context

or the meaning of an argument changes based on which word

or phrase is emphasized.Fallacy of division occurs when an entire group is

erroneously to share the same characteristics of other group

members.Fallacies of relevance-premise are irrelevant or not related tothe conclusion.Personal Attac !Ad "ominem#Fallacy $ disagreeing with

someones conclusion !Instead of presenting a counter attack

of the argument, we attack the person who made the argument.Appeal to Force !%care &actics" #sing threat in order for

someone to agree with your point of view. $his fallacy

happens when the use of threat or force is an attempt to get

another person to accept a conclusion as correct.Appeal to Pity-#sing pity in order to get the other person to

feel sorry or have pity when it is irrelevant to the conclusion.Popular Appeal $ appealing to popular opinion in order to

gain support for your conclusion. %asically getting on the bandwagon. & common form of this appeal is the 'bandwagon

approach()*ere a conclusion is assumed to be true, because

everyone agrees it or doing it.

%trategies for Avoiding Fallacies

+. now yourself-now which fallacies you are more

likely to fall for and which ones you would more

likely commit; lets you be less vulnerable to lapses incritical thinking.

. %uild your confidence and self-esteem $his will

allow you to less likely give in to peer pressures.

/. 0ultivate good listening skills &lways be arespectful listener of other peoples views.

'ecogni(ing) Analy(ing) * +onstructing Arguments,

'hetoric is the defense of a particular position without taking

into consideration an opposing view. It is also called the art of 

 persuasion, which can be used to promote a particular positionor world view. It is important to try and avoid rhetoric and

attempt to analyze and understand both sides of an issue.

1ne of argumentation main purposes is to present the person

with reasons. Identify your audience using language orwritten langue that is clear and appropriate for your audience.

& good argument will invite feedback and analysis of the issue

at hand.

&rgument--$wo or more propositions in which the

conclusion is supported by the other premises.

Propositions in an Argument,

+. $here are propositions in arguments.

. &n argument is made up of two statements in which

we call propositions./. 2roposition is a statement that expresses a complete

thought that can be either true or false.

3. 4xamples of propositions

5. 6acramento is the 0apital of 0alifornia.7. &laska is cold.

Premises * +onclusions,

2remises support or give reasons for accepting the

conclusion.8ood premises are based on fact and experience and do not

rely on opinion and assumptions.

%efore diagramming an argument, it has to be broke downfirst. 9eview pages +::-+ to see how arguments are broken

down and then diagrammed.

uidelines for evaluating an argument,

+. 0larity Is the argument clear and unambiguous<

. 0redibility Is the source reliable<

/. 9elevance &re the premises relevant to theconclusion<

3. 0ompleteness &re there any unstated premises or

conclusions<

5. 6oundness &re the premises true and support theconclusion<

%teps used to construct an argument,

+. 0leary state the issue in the form of a =uestion.

. >evelop a list of premises that address the issue.

/. 4liminate weak or irrelevant premises.

3. 4stablish a conclusion.5. 1rganize your argument.

7. $ryout your argument on others.

:. 9evise your argument, if necessary.

. 2ut your solution or conclusion into action.nowing how to construct and present an argument are

important skills for critical thinkers. It not only makes you a

more effective critical thinker while presenting an argument

on a particular topic or issue, but can also help in resolvingissues in your own life.

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