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Logic Fallacies

Debate Class ProductionSpain Park High School

Hoover, Alabama2011-2012

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ARGUMENT RESPONSE

or PERSUASION METHOD

that seems to make sense but does not really make sense

that seems to be logical but is not really logical

Definition of a Logic Fallacy

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Ad Hominem(Personal Attack)

Definition: attacking the characterof the person advancing the argument.

http://www.logicalfallacies.info/relevance/ad-hominem/

Ad hominem arguments seek to discredit positions by discrediting thosewho hold those positions.

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Bandwagon Fallacy Definition: proving an argument or persuading others by citing its growing popularity

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Gambler’s FallacyDefinition: believing that a random event can become non-random

Slide by Robert James

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Genetic FallacyDefinition: when an idea is either accepted or rejected because of its source, rather than its merit.

Source: http://www.logicalfallacies.info/relevance/genetic/

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Moralistic FallacyDefinition: the informal fallacy of assuming that whichever aspect of nature which has socially unpleasant consequences cannot exist

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Naturalistic FallacyDefinition: Uses statements about how things should be to prove statements about how things are.

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Red HerringDefinition: A completely irrelevant topic is presented in order to divert attention from the original issue.

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/red-herring.html

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Weak AnalogyDefinition: comparing two or more things that aren't genuinely comparable.

Slide by Tyler Pennington

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The following fallacies areIrrelevant Appeals.

Definition: influencing what people think without using true evidence

Slide by (Brad Prosch)

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Appeal to Antiquity/TraditionDefinition: This fallacy assumes that older ideas are better, that the fact that an idea has been around for a while implies that it is true.

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Appeal to AuthorityDefinition: proving or persuading by someone who claims to be an authority

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Appeal to ConsequencesDefinition: an attempt to convince by suggesting good consequences for believing or bad consequences for not believing.

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Appeal to ForceDefinition: an attempt to persuade using threats.

Latin name “argumentum ad baculum” literally means “argument with a cudgel”.

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Appeal to NoveltyDefinition: claims that an idea or proposal is correct or superior, exclusively because it is new and modern

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Appeal to PityDefinition: attempts to persuade using emotion—specifically, sympathy—rather than evidence.

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Appeal to PopularityDefinition: an idea must be true simply because it is widely held.

This is a fallacy because popular opinion can be, and quite often is, mistaken. Hindsight makes this clear.

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Appeal to PovertyDefinition: an argument based on how poor a person or thing is

Slide by Chandler Moore

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Appeal to WealthDefinition: an argument that assumes that someone is better simply because they are wealthier or that something has better quality simply because it’s more expensive.

Slide by (Austin Moore)

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Fallacy of AmbiguityDefinition: The presence of two or more possible meanings in any passage. Also, a fallacy in which the same term is used in more than one way

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Accent FallaciesDefinition: Accent fallacies are fallacies that change the meaning of a set of words based on how they are spoken.

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Definition: saying something must be false if there is no proof that it’s true OR saying something is true if there is no proof it is false.

Arguing from Ignorance

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Begging the Question /Circular Reasoning

Definition: Attempt to defend a claim by using the claim itself

Slide by Emily Hale

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Complex Question FallacyDefinition: an unfair phrasing of a question that makes it impossible to answer yes or no

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Cum Hoc FallacyDefinition: when it is assumed that because two things occur together, they must be causally related. This, however, does not follow; correlation is possible without causation.

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False Dilemma / Bifurcation Fallacy

Definition: A limited number of options (usually two) is given, while in reality there are more options.

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Hasty Generalization FallacyDefinition: A hasty generalization draws a general rule from a single, perhaps atypical, case. It is the reverse of a sweeping generalization – see next slide

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Sweeping Generalization FallacyDefinition: Applies a general statement too broadly. (different

from hasty generalization – see previous slide)

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Post Hoc FallacyDefinition: declares proof by saying: After this, therefore because of this

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Slippery SlopeThese arguments falsely assume that one thing must automatically lead to another.

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Subjectivist FallacyDefinition: disbelieving a conclusion by saying it is not a fact, just an opinion

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Tu Quoque FallacyDefinition: assuming that because someone else has done a thing, there is nothing wrong with doing it.

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Sources

http://www.logicalfallacies.info/