| Term | Definition |
|---|
| ad hominem | claim/argument is rejected because of an irrelevant claim about the author. aka "poisoning the well". Latin="against the man" |
| ad populum | most people approve of A, so A is true |
| ad vericundium | X claims to be an expert on subject S->claims A about S->A must be true |
| nonsequitur | something that does not follow |
| false analogy | overlooks important dissimilarities in order to focus on shaky similarites |
| post hoc | blaming X on A, even though A has nothing to do with X. Latin="after this, therefore because of this" |
| (hasty/sweeping/)over generalization | drawing a conclusion from a small sample of the population |
| stereotyping | using stereotypes as if they are accurate generalizations of a whole group |
| begging the question | conclusion is true because conclusion is true. aka "circular" |
| false authority | A speaks outside his/her authority, of non-existent references, and/or misquotes |
| slippery slope | X happened, so Y must happen (with no argument for why Y is inevitable) |
| equivocation | same word is used with 2 different meanings |
| oversimplification | assumes Z is the whole cause of Y, when really there's more, neglecting the complexity of the situation |
| double standard | using different standards when you should use the same one |
| either/or reasoning | unfairly limits you to 2 choices |
| smoke screen | offering too many details to obscure the point or cover up counter evidence. OR bringing up subject Y to draw attention from subject X |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace