logical fallacies: or, how to really fail at argumentation “logic is the beginning of wisdom, not...

Logical Fallacies: Or, How Logical Fallacies: Or, How to Really Fail at to Really Fail at ArgumentationArgumentation

““Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end.” – Dr. Spock, not the end.” – Dr. Spock, Star Star

TrekTrek

Logical fallacy #1Logical fallacy #1

““Despite the women's movement Despite the women's movement in the ‘70s, women still do not in the ‘70s, women still do not receive equal pay for equal worth. receive equal pay for equal worth. Obviously, all such attempts to Obviously, all such attempts to change the status quo are change the status quo are doomed to failure.” doomed to failure.” -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program, -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program,

http://www.nd.edu/~fwriting/fyc/instructors/LogicalFallacies.shtmlhttp://www.nd.edu/~fwriting/fyc/instructors/LogicalFallacies.shtml


Hasty generalizationHasty generalization: leaping : leaping to a conclusion; to a conclusion; unrepresentativeunrepresentative


““Bill Clinton wants television Bill Clinton wants television programs to show ratings in order programs to show ratings in order to protect children from adult to protect children from adult material, a surprisingly moral material, a surprisingly moral position for an adulterer.”position for an adulterer.” -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program, -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program,



Ad hominemAd hominem: Attacking the : Attacking the person rather than the issue person rather than the issue


Because math scores went Because math scores went down after Sierra Verde down after Sierra Verde became a feeder school for became a feeder school for Mountain Ridge, those Mountain Ridge, those students must have caused a students must have caused a decline in the scores.decline in the scores.


Post hocPost hoc: false cause; : false cause; assumed cause-effect assumed cause-effect relationship that may not be relationship that may not be accurateaccurate


““It is ridiculous to have a gay and It is ridiculous to have a gay and lesbian studies program and a lesbian studies program and a department for the study of Native department for the study of Native American culture; we don’t have a American culture; we don’t have a straight studies program or a straight studies program or a department for Caucasian culture.”department for Caucasian culture.” -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program, -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program,



False analogyFalse analogy: analogy is too : analogy is too weak; the analogs are too weak; the analogs are too different to be worthy of different to be worthy of comparisoncomparison


Millions of minorities simply Millions of minorities simply drop out of school before their drop out of school before their senior year anyway, so there senior year anyway, so there is no need to fund minority-is no need to fund minority-based college scholarships.based college scholarships.


Non sequiturNon sequitur: Something that : Something that does not follow; an illogical does not follow; an illogical conclusion that does not follow conclusion that does not follow the premisethe premise


““We may support this petition We may support this petition for a gender studies major, or for a gender studies major, or we may turn our backs on we may turn our backs on progress, reject the petition, progress, reject the petition, and suffer the consequences.”and suffer the consequences.” -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program, -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program,



Either/or fallacyEither/or fallacy: an : an oversimplification of the issues oversimplification of the issues which leaves only 2 which leaves only 2 diametrically opposed diametrically opposed viewpointsviewpoints


I’m not a doctor, but I play one I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV and I use Bayer Asprin.on TV and I use Bayer Asprin.


Appeal to questionable Appeal to questionable authorityauthority: Just what it says—: Just what it says—the use of faulty, overtly the use of faulty, overtly biased or otherwise biased or otherwise questionable sourcesquestionable sources


““We could improve the We could improve the undergraduate experience with undergraduate experience with coed dorms since both men and coed dorms since both men and women benefit from living with the women benefit from living with the opposite gender.”opposite gender.” -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program, -University of Notre-Dame Writing Program,



Begging the questionBegging the question: the : the premise is merely an premise is merely an assumption so the conclusion assumption so the conclusion won’t necessarily be truewon’t necessarily be true


““The opposition claims that The opposition claims that welfare dependency leads to welfare dependency leads to higher crime rates -- but how are higher crime rates -- but how are poor people supposed to keep a poor people supposed to keep a roof over their heads without our roof over their heads without our help?” help?” -Logical Fallacies and the Art of Debate, -Logical Fallacies and the Art of Debate,

http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html#Red%20herringhttp://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html#Red%20herring


Red herringRed herring: an irrelevant topic is : an irrelevant topic is introduced to divert attention from introduced to divert attention from the topic at hand.the topic at hand.


"The current Chancellor of "The current Chancellor of Germany was in the Hitler Youth Germany was in the Hitler Youth at age 3. With that sort of at age 3. With that sort of background, his so called 'reform' background, his so called 'reform' plan must be a facist program."plan must be a facist program." -The Nizkor Project, http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/genetic--The Nizkor Project, http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/genetic-

fallacy.htmlgfallacy.htmlg


Genetic fallacyGenetic fallacy: a line of "reasoning" in : a line of "reasoning" in which a perceived defect in the origin which a perceived defect in the origin of a claim or thing is taken to be of a claim or thing is taken to be evidence that discredits the claim or evidence that discredits the claim or thing itself. It is also a line of reasoning thing itself. It is also a line of reasoning in which the origin of a claim or thing is in which the origin of a claim or thing is taken to be evidence for the claim or taken to be evidence for the claim or thing.thing.


““Arnold Killembetter’s movie Arnold Killembetter’s movie True True Garbage Garbage is the greatest movie of is the greatest movie of all time. No movie has made as all time. No movie has made as much money as it did.”much money as it did.”

-The Skeptic’s Dictionary, http://skepdic.com/adpopulum.html-The Skeptic’s Dictionary, http://skepdic.com/adpopulum.html


Ad populumAd populum: the appeal to the : the appeal to the popularity of a claim as a reason for popularity of a claim as a reason for accepting it.accepting it.


"Senator Jones says that we "Senator Jones says that we should not fund the attack should not fund the attack submarine program. I disagree submarine program. I disagree entirely. I can't understand why he entirely. I can't understand why he wants to leave us defenseless like wants to leave us defenseless like that."that."-The Nizkor Project, http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/straw--The Nizkor Project, http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/straw-

man.htmlman.html


Straw manStraw man: a deliberate : a deliberate misrepresentation of another’s misrepresentation of another’s argument.argument.

Others to knowOthers to know ““Sob story” = appeal to pitySob story” = appeal to pityEquivocation = deliberately using Equivocation = deliberately using

ambiguous or misleading wordsambiguous or misleading wordsCircular reasoning – relies on its own Circular reasoning – relies on its own

premise to prove itselfpremise to prove itself""Only an untrustworthy person would run for Only an untrustworthy person would run for

office. The fact that politicians are office. The fact that politicians are untrustworthy is proof of this.untrustworthy is proof of this.““

logical fallacies: or, how to really fail at argumentation “logic is the beginning of wisdom, not...

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