faulty clause
(post hoc ergo propter hoc) mistakes or correlates association for causation, by assuming that because one thing follows another it was caused by another
example: A black cat crossed Babbs' path yesterday and, sure enough, she was involved in an automobil
sweeping generalization
(dicto simpliciter) assumes that what is true of the whole will also be true of the part, or that what is true in most instances will be true in all instances
example: Muffin must be rich or have rich parents, because she belongs to ZXQ, and ZXQ is the ri
hasty generalization
bases an inference on too small a sample, or on an unrepresentative sample; often, a single example or instance is used as the basis for a broader generalization
example: All of those movie stars are really rude. I asked Kevin Costner for his autograph in
faulty analogy
(can be literal or figurative) assumes that because two things, events, or situations are alike in some known respects, that they are alike in other unknown respects
example: What's the big deal about the early pioneers killing a few Indians in order to s
appeal to ignorance
attempts to use an opponent's inability to disprove a conclusion as proof of the validity of the conclusion, i.e. "You can't prove I'm wrong, so I must be right."
example: We can safely conclude that there is intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy, beca
bifurcation
(either-or, black or white, all or nothing fallacy) assumes that two categories are mutually exclusive and exhaustive, that is, something is either a member of one or the other, but not both or some third category
example: Either you favor a strong nation
false dilemma
(a form of bifurcation) implies that one of two outcomes is inevitable, and both have negative consequences
example: Either you buy a large car and watch it guzzle away your paycheck, or you buy a small car and take a greater risk of being injured or kill
faulty sign
(also includes argument from circumstance) wrongly assumes that one event or phenomenon
example: The cars driving in the opposite direction have their lights on; they must be a part of a funeral procession.
example: That guy is wearing a Raiders jacket an
damning the source
(ad hominem, sometimes called the genetic fallacy) attempts to refute an argument by indicting the source of the argument, rather than the substance of the argument itself
example: There is no reason to listen to the arguments of those who oppose school p
tu quoque
(look who's talking or two wrongs make a right) pointing to a similar wrong or error committed by another
example: Gee, Mom and Dad, how can you tell me not to do drugs when you both smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol?
example: The United States has no bu
equivocation
allows a key word or term in an argument to shift its meaning during the course of the argument; the result is that the conclusion of the argument is not concerned with the same thing as the premise(s)
example: Only man is rational. No woman is a man. The
begging the question
(petitio principii) entails making an argument, the conclusion of which is based on an unstated or unproven assumption; in question form, this fallacy is known as a complex question
example: Abortion is murder, since killing a baby is an act of murder.
ex
tautology
(a sub-category of circular argument) defining terms or qualifying an argument in such a way that it would be impossible to disprove the argument; often, the rationale for the argument is merely a restatement of the conclusion in different words
example:
appeal to authority
(ipse dixit also called ad verecundiam sometimes) attempts to justify an argument by citing a highly admired or well-known (but not necessarily qualified) figure who supports the conclusion being offered
example: If it's good enough for (insert celebrity'
appeal to tradition
(don't rock the boat or ad verecundiam) based on the principle of "letting sleeping dogs lie"; we should continue to do things as they have been done in the past; we shouldn't challenge time-honored customs or traditions
example: Of course we have to play
appeal to the crowd
(ad populum or playing to the gallery) refers to popular opinion or majority sentiment in order to provide support for a claim; often the "common man" or "common sense" provides the basis for the claim
example: All I can say is that if living together is
straw man
stating an opponent's argument in an extreme or exaggerated form, or attacking a weaker, irrelevant portion of an opponent's argument
example: A mandatory seat belt law could never be enforced. You can't issue citations to dead people.
example: What woman
slippery slope
(sometimes called a snowball argument or domino theory) suggests that if one step or action is taken it will invariably lead to similar steps or actions, the end results of which are negative or undesirable; a slippery slope always assumes a chain reactio
appealing to extremes
a fallacy very similar to slippery slope, which involves taking an argumentative claim or assertion to its interpretation; the difference between the two fallacies is that appealing to extremes does not necessarily involve a sequence of casual connections
hypothesis contrary to fact
this fallacy consists of offering a poorly supported claim about what might have happened in the past or future if circumstances or conditions were other than they actually were or are; the fallacy also involves treating hypothetical situations as if they
non sequitar
(literally means "does not follow") in a general sense any argument which fails to establish a connection between the premises and the conclusion may be called a non-sequitur; in practice, however, the label non-sequitar tends to be reserved for arguments
red herring
attempting to hide a weakness in an argument by drawing attention away from the real issue; a red herring fallacy is thus a diversionary tactic or an attempt to confuse or fog the issue being debated; the name of the fallacy comes from the days of fox hun
inconsistency
advancing an argument that is self-contradictory, or that is based on mutually inconsistent premises
example: A used car salesperson says, "Hey, you can't trust those other car salesmen. They'll say anything to get you to buy a car from them.
example: A p