1. Argument Fallacies *Adapted from FactCheckEd.org
“Monty Python and the Quest for the Perfect Fallacy”

3. Key Terms
Argument: a conclusion together with the premises that support it
Premise: a reason offered as support for another claim
Conclusion: a claim that is supported by a premise
Valid: an argument whose premises genuinely support its conclusion

4. Key Terms Unsound: an argument that has at least one false premise
Invalid: an argument whose premises are true but whose conclusion is still false
Fallacy: an argument that relies upon faulty reasoning
Booby-trap: an argument that, while not fallacious itself, might lead an inattentive reader to commit a fallacy

5. A valid argument: Whichever basketball team scores the most
points will win the game. Virginia scored more
points than UNC. Therefore, Virginia won the
game.

6. A valid argument?
Whichever candidate receives the greatest share of the popular vote will be elected President of the United States. Al Gore received more votes than George W. Bush. Therefore, Al Gore was elected President of the United States.

7. Examples:
If Burger King sells Big Macs, then McDonald’s will go out of business. Burger King does sell Big Macs. Therefore, McDonald’s will go out of business.

8. Examples:
Baptists are often politically conservative. Republicans are often politically conservative. Therefore, Baptists are often Republicans.
John Elway is a great quarterback. Michael Vick is a great quarterback. Therefore, Michael Vick is really John Elway.

9. Examples:
Dr. Roy Spencer, who is a prominent climate scientist at the University of Alabama at Huntsville and winner of NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, doesn’t think that humans are causing global warming. So humans are probably not causing global warming.

10. The Basic Fallacies Genetic Fallacy Red Herring Straw Man False Cause
Undistributed Middle
Ad Hominem
Slippery Slope
Tu Quoque
Appeal to Authority
Circular Argument
Vagueness
Equivocation
Suppressed Evidence
Questionable Statistics
Appeal to History
Appeal to Popularity
Inconsistency
Generalization
Restricting the Options
Weak Analogy

11. Exercise: Identifying Fallacies
After going over the [limited] list of basic fallacies, ask any clarifying questions that you might have.
Form groups of 3 or 4. Look at the “Sample Fallacies” handout. Each argument contains a fallacy (or “booby-trap”). Identify the fallacy (or fallacies) in each argument.
Report back to the class on your findings.