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common_logical_fallacies_numbered

The document outlines common logical fallacies, providing definitions and examples for each. Fallacies include Ad Hominem, Straw Man, False Dilemma, and others, illustrating how they mislead arguments. Understanding these fallacies can help improve critical thinking and argumentation skills.

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shawhardo03
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2 views

common_logical_fallacies_numbered

The document outlines common logical fallacies, providing definitions and examples for each. Fallacies include Ad Hominem, Straw Man, False Dilemma, and others, illustrating how they mislead arguments. Understanding these fallacies can help improve critical thinking and argumentation skills.

Uploaded by

shawhardo03
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Common Logical Fallacies

1. Ad Hominem: Attacking the character or circumstances of the person making the


argument instead of addressing the argument itself. Example: "You can't trust John's
argument on climate change because he's not a scientist."

2. Straw Man: Misrepresenting or oversimplifying someone's argument to make it easier to


attack. Example: "You want to reduce the military budget? So you want to leave the country
defenseless!"

3. False Dilemma (Either/Or Fallacy): Presenting two options as the only possibilities, when
in fact there may be more. Example: "Either we ban all cars to save the environment, or our
planet will be doomed."

4. Circular Reasoning (Begging the Question): Using the conclusion of an argument as one of
the premises. Example: "The Bible is true because it says it is the word of God."

5. Appeal to Authority: Claiming something is true because an authority figure or expert


says so, without providing actual evidence. Example: "Dr. Smith says this medication works,
so it must be effective."

6. Appeal to Emotion: Using emotions to persuade the audience rather than presenting
logical reasoning. Example: "Think about the poor children who will suffer if we don’t adopt
this policy."

7. Appeal to Popularity (Bandwagon Fallacy): Arguing that a belief is true because many
people believe it. Example: "Everyone thinks this movie is great, so it must be good."

8. False Cause (Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc): Assuming that because one thing happened
after another, the first event caused the second. Example: "I wore my lucky socks, and we
won the game. Therefore, the socks caused the win."

9. Hasty Generalization: Making a broad or sweeping conclusion based on a small or


unrepresentative sample. Example: "My two friends from Canada are rude, so all Canadians
must be rude."

10. Slippery Slope: Arguing that a relatively small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of
related (and often negative) events. Example: "If we allow students to redo their
assignments, next they’ll want to retake entire courses for a better grade."

11. Red Herring: Introducing irrelevant information to distract from the original issue or
argument. Example: "Why are you asking about my past criminal record? What about the
real problem of the government's corruption?"
12. False Analogy: Drawing an analogy between two things that are not sufficiently similar
in relevant ways. Example: "Just as a car needs gas to run, humans need food to live.
Therefore, we should all eat gas."

13. Tu Quoque (Appeal to Hypocrisy): Discrediting an opponent's argument by asserting


their failure to act consistently with the position they are arguing for. Example: "You say
smoking is bad for health, but you smoke too, so why should I listen to you?"

14. Burden of Proof: Asserting that a claim is true because it has not been proven false.
Example: "You can’t prove that aliens don’t exist, so they must be real."

15. No True Scotsman: Making an exception to a generalization to defend the claim from
criticism. Example: "No true environmentalist would ever drive a car." (When someone
points out that an environmentalist drives, the response might be: "Well, no *true*
environmentalist would do that.")

16. Composition Fallacy: Assuming that what is true for a part is also true for the whole.
Example: "Each player on the team is a great athlete, so the team as a whole must be the
best."

17. Division Fallacy: Assuming that what is true for the whole is also true for its parts.
Example: "The team is great, so each player must be great."

18. Appeal to Ignorance (Argument from Ignorance): Claiming something is true because it
has not been proven false, or vice versa. Example: "No one has proven that ghosts don’t
exist, so they must be real."

19. The Middle Ground Fallacy: Assuming that the middle point between two opposing
views is always the correct one. Example: "You think we should have no taxes, and I think
we should have 100% taxes. Therefore, the right answer is 50% taxes."

20. Fallacy of Relative Privation (Appeal to Worse Problems): Dismissing an issue by


suggesting there are more important problems to focus on. Example: "Why worry about
animal cruelty when there are so many people starving in the world?"

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