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Logical Fallacies

Terms in this set (13)

Hasty Generalization
Making assumptions about a whole group or range of cases based on a sample that is inadequate (usually because it is atypical or just too small).
Missing the Point
The premises of an argument support a particular conclusion--but not the conclusion that the arguer actually draws
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
A faulty assumption that the cause of a relationship is the result of what preceded it. Also known as Faulty causality.
Slippery Slope
The arguer claims that some form of chain reaction, usually ending in some dire consequence, will take place, but there's really not enough evidence for that assumption.
Weak Analogy
Many arguments rely on an analogy between two or more objects, ideas, or situations. If the two things that are being compared aren't really alike in the relevant respects, the analogy is a weak one, and the argument that relies on it commits the fallacy of weak analogy.
Appeal to Authority
Often we add strength to our arguments by referring to respected sources or authorities and explaining their positions on the issues we're discussing.
Appeal to Pity
_____________ takes place when an arguer tries to get people to accept a conclusion by making them feel sorry for someone - it includes the technique of Pathos.
Appeal to Ignorance
an ______________ lacks conclusive evidence (data, facts, statistics) about the issue being discussed. Therefore, the arguer states that one should accept his or her conclusion on the presented issue.
Straw Man
One way of making our own arguments stronger is to anticipate and respond in advance to the arguments that an opponent might make. The arguer sets up a wimpy, distorted, or misrepresented version of the opponent's position (counterargument) and tries to score points by knocking it down.
Red Herring
Partway through an argument, the arguer goes off on a tangent, raising a side issue that distracts the audience from what's really being discussed. Often, the arguer never returns to the original issue.
False Dichotomy
In __________, the arguer sets up the situation so it looks like there are only two choices. The arguer then eliminates one of the choices, so it seems that we are left with only one option: the one the arguer wanted us to pick in the first place.
Begging the Question
A complicated fallacy; an argument that____________ asks the reader to simply accept the conclusion without providing real evidence by saying the same point in different words.
Equivocation
__________ is sliding between two or more different meanings of a single word or phrase that is important to the argument.
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