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fallacies

The document outlines common logical fallacies, providing explanations and examples for each type, including Ad Hominem, Appeal to Ignorance, and False Dilemma. It also includes practice exercises for identifying these fallacies in various arguments. The guide serves as a resource for understanding and recognizing flawed reasoning in discussions.

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Luis Miguel Lopez Salazar
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9 views

fallacies

The document outlines common logical fallacies, providing explanations and examples for each type, including Ad Hominem, Appeal to Ignorance, and False Dilemma. It also includes practice exercises for identifying these fallacies in various arguments. The guide serves as a resource for understanding and recognizing flawed reasoning in discussions.

Uploaded by

Luis Miguel Lopez Salazar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A Guide to Common Fallacies

1. Ad Hominem (Attacking the Person):

 Explanation: Attacks the person making the argument, not the argument itself.
 Examples:
o "Don't listen to his proposal on healthcare reform; he's just a wealthy elite..."
o "You can't trust her environmental protection views; she drives an SUV."
o "Professor Smith's physics theory is wrong because he's eccentric."

2. Appeal to Ignorance (Argument from Ignorance):

 Explanation: Claims something is true because it hasn't been proven false (or vice
versa).
 Examples:
o "Bigfoot must be real; no one has proven he isn't."
o "Aliens haven't visited Earth; there's no evidence they have."
o "Supernatural forces exist because science hasn't explained all of
consciousness."

3. False Dilemma (Either/Or Fallacy):

 Explanation: Presents only two options when more exist.


 Examples:
o "Either you're with us, or you're against us."
o "Drastically increase military spending or be vulnerable to attack."
o "Go to college and be successful, or work a dead-end job."

4. Appeal to Emotion:

 Explanation: Persuades by manipulating emotions instead of logic.


 Examples:
o "Think of the suffering animals! Ban animal testing!"
o "If you don't support this tax policy, you don't care about the poor."
o "The insurance company denied my claim and ruined my family; they're
heartless!"

5. Straw Man:

 Explanation: Misrepresents an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.


 Examples:
o A: "Light tech regulations for privacy." B: "So you want total government
control?"
o A: "Invest more in public education." B: "So you want unlimited,
unaccountable spending?"
o A: "A balanced immigration policy." B: "So you want open borders and no
security?"

6. Hasty Generalization:

 Explanation: Draws a broad conclusion from limited evidence.


 Examples:
o "One bad dish means all the food is bad at that restaurant."
o "Two rude people from a town means everyone there is unpleasant."
o "My smoking grandfather lived long, so smoking isn't bad."

7. Begging the Question (Circular Reasoning):

 Explanation: The premise assumes the truth of the conclusion.


 Examples:
o "This law is just because it is legally right."
o "Believe me because I'm always right."
o "God exists because the Bible says so, and the Bible is God's word."

8. Slippery Slope:

 Explanation: Claims a small step will inevitably lead to a chain of negative


consequences without sufficient evidence.
 Examples:
o "Hats in school will lead to pajamas, then no attendance."
o "Legalizing marijuana will lead to harder drug use and addiction."
o "Giving in to one union demand will lead to endless demands and
bankruptcy."

9. False Cause (Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc):

 Explanation: Assumes causation because one event follows another.


 Examples:
o "The rooster crows before sunrise, so it causes the sunrise."
o "Accidents decreased after new speed limits, so the signs caused it."
o "My lucky socks made our team win."

10. Appeal to Authority (Argument from Authority):

 Explanation: Cites a non-expert or presents an expert opinion as definitive truth.


 Examples:
o "My actor friend says this vitamin is the best."
o "The CEO believes climate change is a hoax, so it must be."
o "A historian argues astrology is valid."
Practice Exercises
Identify the fallacy committed in each of the following arguments:

1. "Either we invest heavily in renewable energy right now, or we condemn future


generations to a planet ravaged by climate change."
2. "You can't trust Dr. Ramirez's research on the benefits of exercise; she's overweight
herself."
3. "Everyone in my online gaming community uses this particular brand of gaming
headset, so it must be the best one available."
4. "If we allow any restrictions on free speech, the government will eventually censor
all dissenting opinions, and we'll live in a totalitarian state."
5. "Since no one has ever proven that unicorns aren't real, they must exist somewhere
in the uncharted regions of the world."
6. "My financial advisor, who is incredibly wealthy, says that investing in lottery
tickets is a surefire way to get rich."
7. "The mayor's proposal for a new public park is a waste of money; she just wants to
leave a monument to herself."
8. "After I started carrying a rabbit's foot, I got a promotion at work. Therefore, the
rabbit's foot brought me good luck."
9. "The death penalty is just because it's the law in many states."
10. "We should ban all video games because they promote violence in children."
11. "If you don't agree with my political views, you must hate our country."
12. "This celebrity chef recommends this brand of kitchen knives, so they must be
incredibly high quality."
13. "No one has ever been able to definitively prove the existence of a soul, therefore
the soul does not exist."
14. "If we allow students to have open-book exams, they will never learn the material
properly, and eventually, our educational standards will collapse."
15. "Every time I wash my car, it rains the next day. Therefore, washing my car causes
it to rain."

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