Sentimental appeal
use of emotion (pity, fear, flattery, consequence, spite, etc.) to distract the audience from the facts
Red Herrings
use misleading or unrelated evidence to support a conclusion
Scare Tactics
try to frighten people into agreeing with the arguer by threatening them or predicting unrealistic dire consequences
Bandwagon appeals
encourage an audience to agree with the writer because everyone else is
Slippery Slope
suggests that one thing will lead to another, oftentimes to disastrous results
Either/Or Choices
reduce complicated issues to only two possible courses of action
False Need
arguments create an unnecessary desire for things
Loaded words/questions
falsely appeal to emotion by using words that have a lot of emotional meeting or asking leading questions
Appeal to tradition
when it assumed that something is better or correct simply because it is older, traditional, or "has always been done this way
False Authority
asks audiences to agree with the claim of the writer based simply on his character or the authority of another person who may not be fully qualified
Using Authority instead of Evidence
occurs when someone offers personal authority as proof
Guilt by association
calls someone's character into question by examining the character of that person's associates
Dogmatism
shuts down discussion by asserting that the speaker's beliefs are the only acceptable ones
Moral Equivalence
compares minor problems with much more serious crimes (or vice versa)
Ad Hominem
arguments attack a person's character rather than that person's reasoning
Tu Quoque
when one attempts to defend oneself from criticism by turning that critique back on the accuser
Strawman
set up and dismantle easily refutable arguments in order to misrepresent an opponent's argument
Hasty generalization
draws conclusions from very little evidence
Faulty Causality
confuse chronology with causation: one event can occur after another and not be caused by the first
Non Sequitur
a statement that doesn't logically relate to what comes before it
Equivocation
a half-truth, or a statement that is partially correct by purposefully obscures the entire truth
Begging the Question
occurs when a writer simply restates the claim in a different way; such an argument is circular
Faulty Analogy
an inaccurate, inappropriate or misleading comparison between two things
Stacked Evidence
represents only one side of the issue, thus distorting the argument
Fallacy of Ignorance
an argument for or against something based on the lack of evidence for/against it
Sentimental Appeals
The thousand of baby seals killed in the Exxon Valdez oil spill have shown us that oil is not a reliable energy source.
Red Herrings
That painting is worthless because I don't recognize the artist.
Scare Tactics
If you don't support the party's tax plan, you and your family will be reduced to poverty.
Bandwagon
Paris Hilton carries a small dog in her purse, so you should buy a hairless Chihuahua and put it in your Louis Vuitton.
Slippery Slope
If you get a B in high school, you won't get into the college of your choice, and therefore will never have a meaningful career.
Either/Or Choices
The patent office can either approve my generator design immediately or say goodbye forever to affordable energy.
False Need
You need an expensive car or people won't think you're cool.
Loaded Words/questions
Why won't you help the poor, starving animals?
Appeal to Tradition
Sure I believe in God. People have believed in God for thousands of years so it seems clear that God must exist.
Appeal to Nature
You'll never find additives in our tobacco. What you see is what you get�simply 100% whole-leaf natural tobacco. True authentic tobacco taste. It's only natural.
False Authority
My high school teacher said it, so it must be true.
Using Authority instead of Evidence
Trust me - my best friend wouldn't do that.
Guilt by Association
Sara's friend Amy robbed a bank; therefore, Sara is a delinquent.
Dogmatism
I'm sorry, but I think penguins are sea creatures and that's that.
Moral Equivalence
These mandatory seatbelt laws are fascist.
Ad Hominem
Why should we think a candidate who recently divorced will keep her campaign promises?
Tu Quoque
He cannot accuse me of libel because he was just successfully sued for libel!
Strawman
A: We need to regulate access to handguns.
B: My opponent believes that we should ignore the rights guaranteed to us as citizens of the United States by the Constitution. Unlike my opponent, I am a firm believer in the Constitution, and a proponent of fre
Hasty Generalization
I wouldn't eat at that restaurant�the only time I ate there, my entree was undercooked.
Faulty Causality
A year after the release of the violent shoot-'em-up video game Annihilator, incidents of school violence tripled�
surely not a coincidence.
Non Sequitur
If those protesters really loved their country, they wouldn't question the government.
Equivocation
I did not have sexual relations with that woman." - President Bill Clinton
Begging the Question
His lies are evident from the untruthful nature of his statements.
Faulty Analogy
Letting prisoners out on early release is like absolving them of their crimes.
Stacked Evidence
Cats are superior to dogs because they are cleaner, cuter, and more independent.
Fallacy of Ignorance
In spite of all the talk, not a single UFO has been authenticated. Therefore, there are no such things as UFOs.
Emotional
Sentimental Appeal
Emotional
Red Herrings
Emotional
Scare Tactics
Emotional
Bandwagon
Emotional
Slippery Slope
Emotional
Either/Or Choices
Emotional
False Need
Emotional
Loaded words/questions
Emotional
Appeal to Tradition
Emotional
Appeal to Nature
Ethical
False Authority
Ethical
Using Authority Instead of Evidence
Ethical
Guilt by Association
Ethical
Dogmatism
Ethical
Moral Equivalence
Ethical
Ad Hominem
Ethical
Tu Quoque
Ethical
Strawman
Logical
Hasty Generalization
Logical
Faulty Causality
Logical
Non Sequitur
Logical
Equivocation
Logical
Begging the Question
Logical
Faulty Analogy
Logical
Stacked Evidence
Logical
Fallacy of Ignorance