Logical Fallacies

What is a logical fallacy •Errors in reasoning

Why should I avoid logical fallacies? 1.They make arguments fall apart 2.They are misleading 3.They undermine credibility of real sources

Examples of logical fallacies •Ad Hominem Fallacy – personal attacks in an argument •Appeal to Ignorance - “No one has ever been able to prove definitively that extra-terrestrials exist, so they must not be real.” “No one has ever been able to prove definitively that extra-terrestrials do not exist, so they must be real.” •False Dilemma/False Dichotomy –There are only two types of people in the world, people who _____ and people who ____

Examples (cont.) •Slippery slope – starting off small then adding enough steps until the outcome is extreme •Circular argument – assuming the initial thing; “Abstract art isn’t even art. Those pictures and sculptures don’t represent anything, and that’s how you know it's not even art.” •Hasty generalization - general statements without sufficient evidence to support them. •Red herring - “My wife wants to talk about cleaning out the garage, so I asked her what she wants to do with our patio furniture? Now she’s shopping for new patio furniture and not bothering me about the garage.”

How do I avoid logical fallacies 1.Understand what logical fallacies are 2.Avoid name calling 3.Avoid using either/or 4.Avoid generalization (Always, everyone, all the time, etc.) 5.Stay on topic 6.Structure your argument 7.Provide sufficient evidence

Fun with Fallacies Get in groups of 3 or 4 Each member of your group will have a piece of paper with a fallacy written on it Each group will be assigned a topic Each member of your group must come up with an example of a fallacy for the topic given. Your have FIVE MINUTES At the end of the five minutes, share your examples with the class and let them guess which fallacy is on your slip of paper

Topics 1. Your life is not controlled by your decisions but by fate or destiny. 2. Your parents always know what is best for you. 3. Love at first sight can be real. 4. You should always follow your heart. 5. It is always wrong to kill.