What is a FALSE ANALOGY?
A type of fallacy where the fact that two things are alike in one aspect leads to the conclusion that they must be alike in some other aspect.
Example: Computers receive and store input in discrete bits, just like the brain stores information from the outside in the form of memories. Therefore, ideas in the brain are formed from discrete bits of information.
What is a HASTY GENERALIZATION?
A generalization accepted on the support of a sample that is too small or biased (not supported by sufficient evidence)
Example: ‘All men are rats! Just look at the louse that I married.’
What does RED HERRING refer to?
Something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important issue
Example: ‘Well, Hitler was vegetarian! And he surely wasn’t ethical!’
What is the SLIPPERY SLOPE fallacy?
The assumption that taking the first step will inevitably lead to a chain of undesirable related to it events
Example: ‘We can’t allow students any voice in decision-making on campus; if we do, it won’t be long before they are in total control.’
What does POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC mean?
Inferring that because one event followed another, it is necessarily caused by that event
Example: ‘Mary joined our class and next week we all did poorly on the test, so it must be her fault.’
What is BEGGING THE QUESTION?
A fallacy where the conclusion of the discussion is implied or already assumed to be true in the argument
Example: ‘Of course the Bible is the word of God. Why? Because God says so in the Bible.’
What is an APPEAL TO EMOTION?
A fallacy that manipulates emotions to win an argument
Example: ’The Divine Order must exist. If it didn’t, all the galaxies and planets and comets would fall on Earth in one, huge apocalypse.’ Or ’If you don’t go to university, you will spend all your life regretting this decision.”
What is the COMMON BELIEF fallacy?
Asserting a statement to be true based on the belief of many people
Example: ‘Of course Nixon was guilty in Watergate. Everybody knows.’
What is a CIRCULAR ARGUMENT?
A fallacy where the arguer uses the same reason as the conclusion in the argument.
Example: ‘Of course the Bible is the word of God. Why? Because God says so in the Bible.’ Or ’Everyone must obey the law, because it’s illegal to break it.’
What does APPEAL TO IGNORANCE mean?
Claiming something is true because it has not been proven false
Example: ‘You can’t prove there isn’t a Loch Ness Monster, so there must be one.’
What is a FALSE DILEMMA (Straw man)?
A fallacy where the arguer presents two options as the only possibilities when others exist
Example: ‘Women need to be either brilliant or beautiful to survive in this world.’
What does NON SEQUITUR refer to?
A conclusion that does not logically follow from the premises
Example: ‘A waterfall in the background and a beautiful girl in the performance have nothing to do with an automobile.’
What is a FAR FETCHED HYPOTHESIS?
A hypothesis that is unlikely or lacks strong evidence compared to more plausible alternatives
Example: ‘This meeting last night must have been to cast suspicion on the local segregationists.’
What is EQUIVOCATION?
A fallacy arising from the ambiguous nature of a word or phrase
Example: An ad claiming ‘Sugar is an essential nutrient’ without acknowledging its downsides.
What is an AD HOMINEM fallacy?
Attacking the person making an argument rather than the argument itself
Example: Dismissing a politician’s argument based on their character rather than the issue. Or ’She’s just a schoolgirl! How can she understand anything about global warming?’
Appeal to Authority
A fallacy where the arguer provides a reference to the opinion of an authority as evidence to support the argument.
Example: „It must be true because Trump said so”
