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Common Logical Fallacies and Their Definitions

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Common Logical Fallacies and Their Definitions 8/20/2020 Common Logical Fallacies and Their Definitions Fallacy Definition Example Incorrectly characterizing an “Those who want to legalize drugs A “Straw Man” argument opponent’s viewpoint and then are fine with children taking attacking or refuting that version of ecstasy and LSD.” the argument. Making an unfair moral “Pro-choice activists are just as Moral Equivalence comparison between two things bad as terrorists.” that are not really comparable. When a conclusion is validated “Harmful, destructive mining Begging the Claim within the claim itself. practices should be banned.” When the evidence used to “My father is a great Circular Argument support a claim is really just a communicator, because he speaks repetition of the claim itself. effectively.” Equivocation When the writer subtly shifts the “The sign said ‘fine for parking meaning of a word during the here,’ and, since it was fine, I argument, so as to shift the parked there.” argument. “All child murderers are inhuman, and, thus, no child murder is human.” Tu Quoque The logical fallacy equivalent of “How can cops ticket me for (“You’re Another”) “No, YOU are!” This is when speeding? I see cops speeding all someone avoids an argument by the time!” making similar charges against the other person. Ad Hominem Attacking the person instead of the “Well, I don’t believe what argument. The goal is to discredit Politician X has to say about the the argument by discrediting the tax plan because he has said person advocating the argument. some absolutely crazy things in Ad hominem attacks are popular in the past.” online discussions, especially when tempers flare. https://www.summitlearning.org/docs/63426 1/3 8/20/2020 Slippery Slope Slippery slopes occur when a “If we legalize same sex marriage, person asserts that a relatively what will stop us from legalizing small step will lead to a chain of marriage between humans and events that result in a drastic robots? Or humans and animals?” change. Bandwagon The bandwagon fallacy is Increasingly, people are coming to committed by arguments that believe that Eastern religions help appeal to the growing popularity of us to get in touch with our true an idea as a reason for accepting inner being. Therefore, Eastern it as true. religions help us to get in touch with our true inner being. Post hoc ergo propter Latin for “after this, therefore “It started to rain after my ice hoc because of this.” A fallacy that cream cone fell on the ground. occurs when someone reaches a Therefore, my ice cream falling on conclusion of causation because the ground caused it to rain.” an event followed another event. Hasty Generalization Drawing a conclusion based on My father smoked four packs of a small sample size, rather than cigarettes a day since age looking at statistics that are fourteen and lived until age much more in line with the sixty-nine. Therefore, smoking typical or average situation. really can’t be that bad for you. Reductio ad absurdum In argumentation and informal One might say, for instance that logic, a method of refuting an the more sleep one gets the opponent's claim by extending healthier one is, and then, by the logic of the opponent's the logical reductio ad argument to a point of absurdum process, someone absurdity. would be sure to point out that, on such a premise, one who has sleeping sickness and sleeps for months on end is really in the best of health. A conclusion about something “The Nazis pioneered eugenics. Genetic Fallacy based on the origin or history of Therefore eugenics is that thing. unacceptable.” https://www.summitlearning.org/docs/63426 2/3 8/20/2020 Red Herring An attempt to change the subject “Yes, I would absolutely make the to divert attention from the original wars in Afghanistan and Iraq a issue. You can see countless priority. But with the examples of this when you watch unemployment rate as high as it is, presidential candidates debate. we really need to concentrate on domestic issues and creating jobs, and under my plan….” https://www.summitlearning.org/docs/63426 3/3.
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