A Guide to Logical Fallacies Avoid them at all cost!

AVOID Logical Fallacies when You Argue Remember the cable TV ad where the actor paid too much for cable and then fell through a ceiling into a dinner party? This is a logical fallacy! Logical fallacies are ILLOGICAL ways to argue- they DO NOT MAKE SENSE!

Definition: LOGICAL FALLACIES = parts of an argument that intentionally (purposefully) misleads others to persuade them.

HASTY GENERALIZATION Definition: Making assumptions about a whole group or range of cases based on a sample that is inadequate. Examples: ~A man died while running the Chicago Marathon. Therefore, marathon running is dangerous. ~There was a fight at school today. Violence is a growing problem in schools.

Ad Hominem Definition: an attack on personality and character. Focuses argument on person rather than arguments or evidence. Ex: You’re just a big bonehead! You stink!

Red Herring Definition: raising a side issue that distracts the audience from what is really at stake.

False Authority Definition: Using an expert to sell something… except they are not in expert in what they are selling- they’re an expert in something else. Ex: A dentist recommends that Benadryl is a good product to use for allergy sufferers. A podiatrist (foot doctor) recommends that you brush your teeth with a Reach toothbrush.

Either-Or ~ Definition: offering only 2 choices… when there are clearly more! Either do your homework or you will fail! Either sit down or you are going to the dean!

Definition: Falsely identifying the real cause of an event False Cause Definition: Falsely identifying the real cause of an event Ex: I studied while listening to music; therefore, music is the reason I failed the test. Just because pirates and warm weather may be connected it does not mean that warm weather actually brings pirates.

Slippery Slope Definition: HYPERBOLE! Saying that if we allow A to happen, then eventually Z will happen… even though Z is actually unlikely to happen Click the pic- it’s a link!

Bandwagon Definition: This appeals to the popularity of an idea. This assumes that the more popular the idea, the more valid (true) it must be. Ex: Everybody is using the iPhone! You should too!

POST HOC (CAUSE AND EFFECT) A Post Hoc fallacy involves attributing a cause and effect relationship without adequate evidence. (Which is similar to a hasty generalization.) Similar to False Cause. False cause is when someone makes the mistake of assuming that because one event occurred after another event, the first event caused the second one to occur.

POST HOC EXAMPLE

POST HOC EXAMPLE EXAMPLE: My car was running fine until Jimmy borrowed it. Now it makes a funny noise. He must have done something to it. How is that a fallacy?

CIRCULAR REASONING It is also known as Begging the Question. A person uses Circular Reasoning when they support a statement simply by repeating it in different words.

CIRCULAR REASONING EXAMPLE Do you see the fallacy?

THE QUESTION BEGGED EXAMPLE: My mother is always busy because she has too much to do. If the term or idea used to support the argument is interchangeable, it is most likely a form of Circular Reasoning.

NON- SEQUITUR Non-sequitur occurs when the arguer reaches a conclusion that does not follow logically from the “proof” offered to support it. It literally means “not in sequence.”

NON SEQUITUR EXAMPLE Direct TV: Grandson with a Dog Collar

NON SEQUITUR EXAMPLE EXAMPLE: Mrs. Lewis will make Steve the baseball team captain. He is already the captain of the volleyball team.

is this all of the fallacies?

NO! There are many more! More Fallacies on a Great Website!