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Logical Fallacies

The document defines and provides examples of common logical fallacies. It discusses 13 different fallacies - hasty generalization, ad hominem, missing the point, post hoc, slippery slope, weak analogy, appeal to authority, appeal to pity, appeal to ignorance, straw man, red herring, false dichotomy, begging the question, and equivocation. For each, it gives a definition and an example to illustrate how the fallacy occurs.

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Jackson Marwa
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38 views

Logical Fallacies

The document defines and provides examples of common logical fallacies. It discusses 13 different fallacies - hasty generalization, ad hominem, missing the point, post hoc, slippery slope, weak analogy, appeal to authority, appeal to pity, appeal to ignorance, straw man, red herring, false dichotomy, begging the question, and equivocation. For each, it gives a definition and an example to illustrate how the fallacy occurs.

Uploaded by

Jackson Marwa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hasty Generalization

• Definition: 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).

• Example: "My roommate said her


philosophy class was hard, and the one
I'm in is hard, too. All philosophy classes
must be hard!"
Ad hominem
• Definition: is a general category of
fallacies in which a claim or argument is
rejected on the basis of some irrelevant
fact about the author of or the person
presenting the claim or argument.

• Example: A prosecutor asks the judge to


not admit the testimony of a burglar
because burglars are not trustworthy.
Missing the Point
• Definition: The premises of an argument
do support a particular conclusion--but not
the conclusion that the arguer actually
draws.

• Example: "The seriousness of a


punishment should match the seriousness
of the crime. Right now, the punishment
for drunk driving may simply be a fine. But
drunk driving is a very serious crime that
can kill innocent people. So the death
penalty should be the punishment for
drunk driving."
Post hoc (false cause)
This fallacy gets its name from the Latin
phrase "post hoc, ergo propter hoc," which
translates as "after this, therefore because
of this."

• Definition: Assuming that because B


comes after A, A caused B.

• Examples: "President Jones raised taxes,


and then the rate of violent crime went up.
Jones is responsible for the rise in crime.“
Also known as

Slippery Slope “the Camel’s Nose

• Definition: The arguer claims that a sort of


chain reaction, usually ending in some dire
consequence, will take place, but there's really
not enough evidence for that assumption.

• Example: "Animal experimentation reduces our


respect for life. If we don't respect life, we are
likely to be more and more tolerant of violent
acts like war and murder. Soon our society will
become a battlefield in which everyone
constantly fears for their lives. It will be the end
of civilization. To prevent this terrible
consequence, we should make animal
experimentation illegal right now."
Weak Analogy
• Definition: 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.

• Example: "Guns are like hammers--they're both


tools with metal parts that could be used to kill
someone. And yet it would be ridiculous to
restrict the purchase of hammers--so restrictions
on purchasing guns are equally ridiculous."
Appeal to Authority
• Definition: Often we add strength to our
arguments by referring to respected
sources or authorities and explaining their
positions on the issues we're discussing.

• Example: "We should abolish the death


penalty. Many respected people, such as
actor Johnny Depp, have publicly stated
their opposition to it."
.
Appeal to Pity
• Definition: The appeal to pity takes place
when an arguer tries to get people to
accept a conclusion by making them feel
sorry for someone.

• Example: "I know the exam is graded


based on performance, but you should
give me an A. My cat has been sick, my
car broke down, and I've had a cold, so it
was really hard for me to study!"
Appeal to Ignorance
• Definition: In the appeal to ignorance, the
arguer basically says, "Look, there's no
conclusive evidence on the issue at hand.
Therefore, you should accept my
conclusion on this issue."

• Example: "People have been trying for


centuries to prove that God exists. But no
one has yet been able to prove it.
Therefore, God does not exist."
Straw Man
• Definition: 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
version of the opponent’s position and tries to
score point by knocking it down.

• Example: "Feminists want to ban all


pornography and punish everyone who reads it!
But such harsh measures are surely
inappropriate, so the feminists are wrong: porn
and its readers should be left in peace."
Red Herring
• Definition: Partway through an argument,
the arguer goes off on a tangent, raising a
side issue that distracts the audience from
what's really at stake. Often, the arguer
never returns to the original issue.

• Example: "Grading this exam on a curve


would be the most fair thing to do. After all,
classes go more smoothly when the
students and the professor are getting
along well."
False Dichotomy
• Definition: In false dichotomy, 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.

• Example: "Caldwell Hall is in bad shape. Either


we tear it down and put up a new building, or we
continue to risk students' safety. Obviously we
shouldn't risk anyone's safety, so we must tear
the building down."
Begging the Question
• Definition: A complicated fallacy, an
argument that begs the question asks the
reader to simply accept the conclusion
without providing real evidence

• Examples: "Active euthanasia is morally


acceptable. It is a decent, ethical thing to
help another human being escape
suffering through death." Let's lay this out
in premise-conclusion form:
= Equivocation =
• Definition: Equivocation is sliding
between two or more different meanings of
a single word or phrase that is important to
the argument.

• Example: "Giving money to charity is the


right thing to do. So charities have a right
to our money."

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