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Fallacies

Terms in this set (24)

Appeal to Fear
"scare tactic" an appeal when a person tries to support his or her argument by scaring you, or by creating doubt and prejudice. (ex. Don't talk to strangers, you'll get kidnapped.)
Either or Fallacy
When only two choices are presented yet more exist, or a spectrum of possible choices exists between two extremes.
Ad Hominem
attacking the person rather than the argument (ex: President Bush uses poor English; therefore, he wrongfully invaded Iraq.)
Ad Populum
"bandwagon appeal" an appeal to the prejudices of the people (ex: You should like Tom Hanks movies because everyone else does.)
Appeal to Force
diverting attention from the real issue to the negative consequences of not accepting an argument (ex: blackmail)
Appeal to Ignorance
refusing to accept the burden of proof (ex: Extra terrestrials must exist because no one has ever proved that they don't)
Appeal to Reward
diverting attention from the real issue to what will be gained by accepting the argument (ex: bribery, buying votes)
Appeal to Ridicule
presenting the argument in such a way that makes the argument look ridiculous, usually by misrepresenting the argument or the use of exaggeration (ex: Evolution is the idea that humans come from pond scum.)
Appeal to Tradition
assuming that what has become a tradition because it has been around for so long should continue to be a tradition (ex: The QWERTY keyboard continues to be taught in schools even though it is not the most efficient arrangement.)
Begging the Question
making a statement that assumes the question being argued has already been proven (ex: Women should not be able to join men's clubs because the clubs are for men only.)
Circular Reasoning
an attempt to support a statement by simply repeating the statement in different or stronger terms. In this fallacy, the reason given is nothing more than a restatement of the conclusion that poses as the reason for the conclusion. (ex: Abortion is murder because it is the unjustified killing of a human being.)
Equivocation
giving an honest appearance to a lie (ex: "I don't even have a nickel"— when you have all dimes.)
False Analogy
comparing things, circumstances, and so on without demonstrating a meaningful connection between them (ex: "This is your brain on drugs."—An egg in a frying pan?)
False Dilemma
"false dichotomy" "either-or fallacy" posing an either-or situation and ignoring further alternatives (ex: Mom: You can clean your room, or you can skip the party.)
Faulty Use of Authority
"false authority" using questionable or irrelevant authority to back up an argument (ex: Alex Trebek recommending life insurance)
Hasty Generalization
drawing conclusions on the basis of insufficient evidence (ex: Both times I ate lima beans as a child I got sick; therefore, lima beans must be bad for you.)
Non Sequitur
"it does not follow" finding a relationship between two facts that does not exist (ex: "You won't give me all your money; therefore, you must hate me.)
Oversimplified Cause
trying to reduce a complex event or phenomenon to one simple cause (ex: Dan Quayle blamed the television show Murphy Brown for the breakdown of the American family.)
Poisoning the Well
presenting an argument in such an emotionally biased way that it is difficult for a critic to respond without looking dishonest or immoral. (ex: "Of course, this liar will tell you that he didn't steal my stuff. You can't believe a thief. Go ahead and ask him; he'll deny it.")
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
"after this, therefore because of this"—assuming that one event that follows another is the result of the first even (similar to oversimplified cause) (ex: Barry Bonds changed his socks today and he didn't get a single hit.)
Red Herring
attempting to draw attention away from the issue at hand by raising irrelevant issues. (ex: "I don't think the president's economic plan is a good idea. I mean, what is he going to do about the violence in our inner cities?")
Slippery Slope
predicting that taking a first step will lead inevitably to a later, usually much more undesirable action (ex: "Birth control is the first step on the road to euthanasia.")
Straw Man
attacking a view similar to, but not the same as, the one in question (ex: "We should license knives just like we do guns. (sarcastically)"
Sweeping Generalization
applying a statement that is true for one particular situation to another situation without considering how the situations might be different. (ex: "My accounting degree really prepared me well for law school. Everyone who wants to go to law school should major in accounting.")
THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH...