11th grade American Literature

FALLACIES

WHAT IS A FALLACY?

Logical Fallacies are ERRORS IN REASONING.

This differs from a factual error, which is simply being wrong about the facts.

A fallacy is traditionally defined by Aristotle as a piece of evidence with faulty reasoning or illogical reasoning.

To be more specific, a fallacy is an "argument" in which the premises given for the conclusion do not provide the needed degree of support.

Logical Fallacies are also called PROPOGANDA TECHNIQUES.

Contemporary Rhetoricians also call fallacies flashpoints or hotspots.

TYPES OF FALLACIES

APPEAL TO AUTHORITY / APPEAL TO FALSE AUTHORITY

Uses evidence that is not qualified or uses a source that is not an authority on a specific issue.

APPEAL TO EMOTION / SENTIMENTAL APPEAL / SCARE

TACTICS

Exaggerations made from fear or guilt to force people into action. Uses tender moments excessively to distract readers from facts.

APPEAL TO TRADITION

It assumes that something is better or correct simply because it is older, traditional, or "always has been done."

ATTACK AD HOMINEM / PERSONAL ATTACK

Attacks directed at the character of the person rather than at the claims he or she makes.

BANDWAGON

Makes a claim that urges people to follow the mass majority.

BEGGING THE QUESTION / CIRCULAR REASONING

Assuming a piece of evidence is true because it is stated as being true.

DOGMATISM

Makes the argument that whatever the speaker says is the only possible conceivable position within a community.

EITHER-OR CHOICES

A piece of evidence that states something is either one way or another and that no other possible outcomes exist.

EQUIVOCATION

Involves juvenile tricks of language to say a piece of evidence is true. Uses semantics.

FAULTY ANALOGY

Analogies that are pushed too far to be taken seriously or simply do not make sense.

FAULTY CAUSALITY

In Latin, this is called “post hoc, ergo propter hoc” which means “after this, therefore because of this.” This is the fallacious assumption that because one event or action follows another, the first necessarily causes the second. It is a cause-effect error.

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

This fallacy occurs when a claim is rejected by the speaker just because the people the speaker dislikes accept the claim.

HASTY GENERALIZATION

An inference drawn from an insufficient amount of evidence.

MORAL EQUIVALENCE

Suggests that serious wrong-doings don’t differ in kind from minor offense.

NON SEQUITUR

A statement which claims, reasons, or warrants fail to connect / build logically. It “does not follow.”

RED HERRING

Changes the subject or brings up an irrelevant argument or piece of evidence.

SLIPPERY SLOPE/ JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

Shows that a small misstep today will cause tomorrow's slide into disaster.

THE STRAW MAN

An attack on something that really isn’t there or is much weaker than the speaker/writer claims.

TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT

This fallacy occurs when a person asserts that another person would act the same way if given the same situation as the speaker.