Fallacies

Terms in this set (39)

Post hoc ergo propter hoc
A train always passes after the railroad crossing alarm sounds and the gates come down. Therefore the railroad crossing causes the train to pass.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Since I stopped smoking we haven't had an argument. Who knew the answer could have been so simple?
Appeal to Pity (Argumentum ad Misericordiam)
"Your honor, I admit that I declared thirteen children as dependents on my tax return, even though I have only two. But if you find me guilty of tax evasion, my reputation will be ruined. I'll probably lose my job, my poor wife will not be able to have the operation that she desperately needs, and my kids will starve. Surely I am not guilty."
Ad Hominem
Can we let a shrimp like this ruin our country?
Red Herring
We can't worry about the environment, we're in the middle of a war!
Bandwagon
All Americans think this is wrong.
Circular Reasoning(Tautology)
God Exists.
Because the Bible says so.
Because the Bible is the word of God.
Oversimplification (Dicto Simpliciter)
Exercise is good. Therefore everybody should exercise.
Appeal to Unqualified Authority (Argumentum Ad Verecundiam)
Marilyn Monroe Says, "Yes, I use Creme Shampoo."
Slippery Slope
You drink. You're impaired. You die.
Appeal to Force
(1) If you don't accept that the Sun orbits the Earth, rather than the other way around, then you'll be excommunicated from the Church.
Therefore:
(2) The Sun orbits the Earth, rather than the other way around.
Red Herring
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, look at the bloody clothes, the murder weapon. Imagine the helpless screams of the victim. Such a crime deserves no verdict except guilty, guilty!
Equivocation (Booby Trap)
Lewis Carroll, in Through the Looking Glass: " 'You couldn't have [jam] if you did want it,' the Queen said. 'The rule is jam tomorrow and jam yesterday — but never jam today.' 'It must sometimes come to jam today,' Alice objected. 'No it can't,' said the Queen. 'It's jam every other day: today isn't any other day, you know.' "
Appeal to Unqualified Authority
I'm not a doctor, but I play a doctor on TV, and I wouldn't dream of using anything but Tylenol for my toughest headaches.
Genetic Fallacy
According to Freud, your belief in God stems from your need for a strong father figure. So don't you see that it's silly to continue believing in God?
Straw Man
How can you possibly believe in evolution? That would mean that you believe that an elephant evolved from a mouse, and that's just ridiculous.
Vagueness
The nuthatch was discovered by Tilly Turnow in the woods, while hopping from branch to branch of an elm tree, singing happily.
Red Herring
You can hardly blame President Clinton for having extramarital affairs. Many presidents, when faced with similar situations, have yielded to the same temptations.
False Cause
There are more laws on the books than ever before, and more crimes are being committed than ever before. Therefore, to reduce crime, we must eliminate the laws.
Straw Man
We should pass a constitutional amendment making it illegal to burn the American flag. Anyone who thinks otherwise just hates America.
Red Herring
Radio talk show host, on learning that an association of critical thinking professors had suggested his show as a source of fallacious reasoning: "Who are these people? They talk to maybe 30 people at a time. I talk to 5 million people every day. They could not begin to do what I do. They are just gnats flying around getting in the way."
Appeal to Unqualified Authority
11. U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn says that lesbianism is rampant in the Oklahoma schools. This must, indeed, be true, because surely the senator couldn't be mistaken about the schools in his own state.
Questionable Use of Statistics
12. Do most Americans believe in God? To find out, we asked over 10,000 scientists at colleges and universities throughout America. Less than 40 percent said they believed in God. The conclusion is obvious: Most Americans no longer believe in God.
Undistributed Middle
All things that are made of wood are things that can float.
All things that weigh as much as a duck are things that can float.
So all things that weigh as much as a duck are things that are made of wood.
Undistributed Middle
All witches are made of wood.
So all things that weigh as much as a duck are things that are made of wood.
Therefore, all witches are things that weigh as much as a duck.
Undistributed Middle
Therefore, all witches are things that weigh as much as a duck.
This thing is a thing that weighs as much as a duck.
Therefore, this thing is a witch.
False Premise
All witches are things that can burn.
All things that can burn are made of wood.
Therefore, all witches are made of wood.
False Premise
Whichever candidate receives the greatest share of the popular vote will be elected president of the United States.
Al Gore received more votes than George Bush.
Therefore, Al Gore was elected president of the United States.
Genetic Fallacy
Before he died, poet Allen Ginsberg argued in favor of legalizing pornography. But Ginsberg's arguments are nothing but trash. Ginsberg was a pot-smoking homosexual and a thoroughgoing advocate of the drug culture.
Red Herring
Many people criticize Thomas Jefferson for being an owner of slaves. But Jefferson was one of our greatest presidents, and his Declaration of Independence is one of the most eloquent pleas for freedom and democracy ever written. Clearly these criticisms are unwarranted.
Questionable use of Statistics
Miller Lite is cheap beer, so the Guinness will be cheap, too.
Vagueness
Wife: "I see Mr. Smith is cooking out on his new barbecue grill." Husband: "So his wife finally got fed up with his unfaithfulness!"
Questionable use of Statistics
Jake, Kyle and Rolf are all members of the UNCP Young Republicans, and they are all planning to be Roman Catholic priests. Emma is also a member of the UNCP Young Republicans, so she is probably planning to be a Roman Catholic priest, too.
Equivocation
I have a right to speak. What is right ought to be done. So I ought to speak.
Undistributed Middle
Poetry is a based on rhythm, and music is based on rhythm, so isn't poetry a kind of music?
False Cause
The Soviet Union collapsed after taking up atheism. Therefore, we must avoid atheism for the same reasons.
Undistributed Middle
Most heroin users started out smoking pot. If you start smoking pot, you'll end up a heroin user, too.
Vagueness
Middle-class families are paying more taxes than ever.
Suppressed Evidence
The war in Iraq has been a complete success. After all, Saddam Hussein is dead, and the Iraqis had their first free election in years.
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