R H E T O R I C A L A N A LY S I S B A C K G R O U N D I N F O R M AT I O N

THE FALLACIES OF RHETORIC

WHAT ARE THE “HOLES” IN THIS ARGUMENT?

WHAT ARE THE “HOLES” IN THIS ARGUMENT?

WHAT IS A FALLACY?

• Fallacy: an incorrect argument in logic and rhetoric resulting in a lack validity, or more generally, a lack of soundness

• In other words, a fallacy is a strategy that someone uses in a piece of rhetoric to persuade the listener or reader, masking him or her from the real truth

• We are going to be learning about 26 fallacies

APPEALS OF PREJUDICE OR STEREOTYPES

• Judging someone’s credibility by race, religion, sex or other categorization rather than by the facts• Example:

APPEALS FOR SYMPATHY

• Using sympathy instead of facts to back a statement• Example:

APPEALS OF TRADITION AND CUSTOM

• Justifying arguments with traditional and customary excuses rather than facts• Example:

TESTIMONIAL

• Opinion of a well known person or subject when he or she has no expertise to talk about it• Example:

BANDWAGON

• Everyone else is doing something, so should you!• Example:

APPEALS TO APPEARANCE (SEX APPEAL)

• Use vanity and good-looking people to persuade others• Example:

CARD STACKING

• Presenting only one side of an issue; one point of view in favor of or against• Example:

DEDUCTION

• Generalizing the whole to specific parts• Example:

CHECK POINT!

• On your sheet, there are eight ads. • Work with the people around you to match the

ads up with the appropriate fallacy!

EQUIVOCATION

• Using two dissimilar situations and comparing them as the same to persuade• Example:

EXIGENCY

• Tries to convince that there is a good reason to do something in a short amount of time. Consequences will result if too much time is taken.• Example:

FLAG WAVING

• Stars and stripes or you are not patriotic• Example:

FREE BARGAIN

• A technique of making someone believe they are getting something for nothing• Example:

GLITTERING GENERALITY

• A word or phrase used to draw a positive response but to give no information• Example:

CHERRY-PICKING

• pointing to individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position• Example:

APPEAL TO NOVELTY

• The idea that newer is always better• Opposite of the appeals to tradition fallacy• Example:

INNUENDO

• Hints indirectly that wrongdoing is present without proof• Example: When Regina George calls a guy’s

girlfriend’s mother pretending to be Planned Parenthood with test results. This implies that the woman’s daughter is pregnant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K4L9K8oUZ8

CHECK POINT!

• You will be divided into groups • Each group will be given a situation described on

a slip of paper. • Your group must figure out which fallacy this

situation belongs to.

OF COURSE GLOBAL WARMING DOESN’T EXIST! THERE WAS THIS ONE STUDY

DONE IN THIS OBSCURE JOURNAL THAT PROVES IT NOT TO BE TRUE. IGNORE THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER ARTICLES

THAT PROVE OTHERWISE.

CHEVY CONSTANTLY ADVERTISES THE FACT THAT THEY ARE AMERICAN AND THEREFORE ARE SUPERIOR TO THE EUROPEAN CAR COMPANIES; IF YOU DON’T

BY THEIR PRODUCT, YOU AREN’T PATRIOTIC.

AN AD THAT PLACES A BOTTLE OF COKE STRATEGICALLY AROUND A BUNCH OF FRUITS

AND VEGETABLES

THE ICE CREAM PLACE DOWN THE STREET OFFERS COMPLIMENTARY ICE CREAM CONES! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FILL OUT THEIR 20-MINUTE SURVEY

AND IT’S ALL YOURS!

THE ADVERTISING AGENCY MAKES THE EXECUTIVE DECISION TO MAKE A POSTER WITH ONE OF THE

PLANES FROM THE AIRLINE THEY ARE ADVERTISING ACCOMPANIED BY ONE WORD: RELAXATION.

A SALESWOMAN CONVINCES A CUSTOMER TO BUY THE PAIR OF SHOES

THAT VERY SECOND, AS THEY ARE SELLING OUT FAST AND WILL PROBABLY

NOT BE THERE IN THE NEXT TWENTY MINUTES.

THE LAWYER ASKS THE WITNESS IF HE HAD HAD A DRINK IN THE LAST TWENTY FOUR HOURS TO

IMPLY THAT THE WITNESS IS AN ALCOHOLIC AND, THEREFORE, NOT TRUSTWORTHY.

THE RESTAURANT TRIES TO GET MORE CUSTOMERS BY ADVERTISING THAT THEY ARE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT.

THEY ALSO GIVE THEIR RESTAURANT A BRAND NEW NAME, EVEN THOUGH THEY SERVE THE SAME FOOD.

JUST PLAIN FOLKS

• To use blue collar and middle class values rather than the facts• Example:

NAME-CALLING

• Labeling someone or something good or bad without sufficient evidence• Example:

RED HERRING

• a speaker attempts to distract an audience by deviating from the topic at hand by introducing a separate argument the speaker believes is easier to speak to• Example:

OVERSIMPLIFICATION

• Easier said than done• Example:

POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC

• After this, therefore, because of this• Example:

REPETITION

• Repeating statements to persuade• Example:

SUBSTITUTION OF PRESTIGE

• Avoiding facts by thinking well of something because of clout or status• Example:

SUBSTITUTION OF RIDICULE OR HUMOR

• Not using facts but making a joke or derogatory comment to discredit• Example:

SLIPPERY SLOPE

• The idea that if you allow X to happen, then Y will happen, and eventually Z will happen• Example:

VALUE CHARGED APPEALS

• Use of highly charged emotional words to persuade• Example:

CHECK POINT!

• Get in groups• Each group will be assigned a fallacy• Your group must work to come up with a situation

or type of ad/ argument that is an example of this fallacy• One you think of one, place it on an index card

with your name on it• We will go through each and try and work

together to guess which fallacy they represent!