Logical Fallacies

What is a logical fallacy?

Errors in reasoning that invalidate the argument.

Ad Hominem – “Argument against the man”

• Unfairly attacking a person instead of the issue

• Attacking the character and/or reputation of a position’s supporters; “Guilt by association”

Example: We cannot listen to Miss MacLachlan’s opinion on hip-hop because she loves Taylor Swift.

Remember chain emails?

False Dilemma • Either or Fallacy • Discussing an issue as if there are only

two alternatives• This fallacy ignores any other possible

alternatives

Example: We either ban Justin Bieber or the world will end.

False Analogy• Making a comparison between two

subjects that have more dissimilarities than similarities.

Example: Taking Philosophy at Nat 5/Higher is like taking away your social life.

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc(False Cause)

• “After this, therefore because of this”• Assuming that because two things

happened, the first caused the second one to happen.

Example: Every time my Miss MacLachlan listens to

Lil Jon she is very angry.

Slippery Slope• Implying that one small step in the wrong

direction will cause disastrous results

Example: If we allow Lil Jon to continue to produce music, the whole hip-hop industry will be destroyed.

Appeal to authority• Implying that because an authority

(someone/something in a position of power) thinks something is true, it must therefore be true.

• Miss MacLachlan thinks that Lil Jon is the worst rapper alive, she is a teacher, so it must be true.

The other logical fallacies

While I do not expect you to learn every single fallacy inside out. I do expect you to at least glance through the following.

Begging the Question• The opinion to be proved is given as if it

were already proved.

Example: Aliens exist because I was abducted by

aliens.

Evasion• Ignoring or evading the questions• Example:

Miss MacLachlan: “Where is your homework?

Philosophy pupil: “Miss have you heard the new Taylor Swift album.”

Oversimplification• Making a complicated issue seem very

simple by using simple terms or suppressing information

Example: The polar icecaps are melting as we do not turn off the lights when we leave a room.

Red Herring

• Presenting an argument unrelated to your subject in order to distract the reader

• Example: In order to really look at the problem of polar ice caps melting, we must first consider why Lil Jon is allowed to still make music.

Two wrongs make a right• Defending something done wrong by citing

another incident of wrong doing

Example: Lil Jon does not need stop making music because Justin Bieber is still producing much worse music.

Hasty Generalization• An inference drawn from insufficient

evidence.• Miss MacLachlan cannot find her keys;

therefore, aliens.