WARMING UP

Identify & explain the logical

fallacy in the following
statements.

Logical Fallacies 1
1. Could I receive an A for this class. If I
don't get an 'A' I won't get the
scholarship that I apply for
1. Appeal to fear/scare tactics
2. Appeal to numbers /bandwagon/ peer
pressure
3. Redherring/smokescreen
4. Appeal to pity
5. Slippery slope / domino theory
6. Begging the question / circular argument
7. Hasty generalization
Logical Fallacies 2
1. Could I receive an A for this class. If I
don't get an 'A' I won't get the
scholarship that I apply for
Appeal to pity
This line of "reasoning" is fallacious
because pity does not serve as
evidence for a claim
Just to get a scholarship does not
justify a person to be given an A –
There are other criteria to be considered

Logical Fallacies 3
2. The women in my family love
babies. All women love babies
1. Appeal to numbers /bandwagon/peer
pressure
2. Redherring/smokescreen
3. Appeal to pity
4. Appeal to fear /scare tactics /ad
bacculum
5. Ad hominem
6. Begging the question/circular argument
7. Hasty generalization
Logical Fallacies 4
2. All women in my family love
babies. All women love babies
Hasty generalization
Faulty logic – unqualified
A generalization. This fallacy is
committed when a person draws
a conclusion about a population
based on a sample that is not
large enough
Logical Fallacies 5
3. You shouldn’t accept national
health care because it is a socialist idea

1. Appeal to numbers /bandwagon/peer

pressure
2. Redherring/smokescreen
3. Appeal to pity
4. Appeal to fear /scare tactics /ad
bacculum
5. Ad hominem
6. Begging the question/circular argument
7. Hasty generalization
Logical Fallacies 6
3. You shouldn’t accept national
health care because it is a socialist idea
Red herring
Switching to another issue to distract
from the main argument. This sort of
"reasoning" is fallacious because
merely changing the topic of
discussion hardly counts as an
argument against a claim.
Logical Fallacies 7
4. In a democracy the people are free
because democracies are free countries.
1. Appeal to numbers /bandwagon/peer
pressure
2. Redherring/smokescreen
3. Appeal to pity
4. Appeal to fear /scare tactics /ad
bacculum
5. Ad hominem
6. Begging the question/circular argument
7. Hasty generalization
Logical Fallacies 8
4. In a democracy the people are free
because democracies are free countries.
Begging the question
Circular argument

This sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because

simply assuming that the premise is true does
not constitute evidence for that conclusion.
Democracy = free country = free people.
Circular argument with no end.

Logical Fallacies 9
5. The gang members caught by the police last
night comprises immigrants from country X.
Most immigrants who work in this country
have trouble with the law and come from
country X where thievery are rampant.
1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. Scare tactics /ad bacculum
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Hasty generalization
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance
Logical Fallacies 10
5. The gang members caught by the police last
night comprises immigrants from country X.
Most immigrants who work in this country
have trouble with the law and come from
country X where thievery are rampant.
Hasty generalization

Faulty logic – unqualified

Generalization. Making a
judgment based on a small
Sample.
Logical Fallacies 11
6. Ralph Nader was the best candidate
for president, because he was totally
better than any of the others.
1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. Scare tactics /ad bacculum
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Hasty generalisation
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance

Logical Fallacies 12
6. Ralph Nader was the best candidate
for president, because he was totally
better than any of the others.
Begging the question/
Circular argument
Assumption -- Nader is better than the other
candidates, conclusion -- Nader is the best. This
sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because simply
assuming that the conclusion is true (directly or
indirectly) in the premises does not constitute
evidence for that conclusion.
Logical Fallacies 13
7. If you don't finish your homework you
won't get a good grade. Then you won't be
able to get into the college you want. You
will end up cleaning toilets for a living.

1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. Scare tactics /ad bacculum
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Hasty generalization
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance
Logical Fallacies 14
7. If you don't finish your homework you
won't get a good grade. Then you won't be
able to get into the college you want. You
will end up cleaning toilets for a living.

Appeal to fear /scare tactics

It is an appeal to force or threat

instead of trying to convince
someone with facts or a logical
argument
Logical Fallacies 15
8. How could anyone vote for Hilary Clinton
for senator?The fact that she is married to
Clinton proves that she has no self respect.

1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. Scare tactics /ad bacculum
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Hasty generalization
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance
Logical Fallacies 16
 8. How could anyone vote for Hilary Clinton
for senator?The fact that she is married to
Clinton proves that she has no self respect.

Ad hominem
Attacking the person rather than the issue. Ad Hominem"
means "against the man" or "against the person.
Ad Hominem is a fallacy because the character,
circumstances, or actions of a person do not (in most
cases) have a bearing on the truth of the claim being made
(or the quality of the argument being made).
Logical Fallacies 17
9. UFO must exist because no reputable studies
have proven conclusively that they do not.

1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. Scare tactics /ad bacculum
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Hasty generalization
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance

Logical Fallacies 18
9. UFO must exist because no reputable studies
have proven conclusively that they do not.

Burden of proof
Shifts the burden
Causal fallacy of proof to the other
party in order to make a claim.
However, no evidence is given to
proof that UFO do exist.

Logical Fallacies 19
10. If you are beautiful, you could live like
this, so buy Buty-EZ and become beautiful.

1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. Scare tactics /ad bacculum
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Appeal to vanity/flattery
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance

Logical Fallacies 20
10. If you are beautiful, you could live like
this, so buy Buty-EZ and become beautiful.

Appeal to vanity/flattery

Here the appeal is to beautiful people.

This line of "reasoning" is fallacious
because the fact that flattery does not,
in general, serve as evidence that the
claim is true.
Logical Fallacies 21
11. State the fallacy implied

Logical Fallacies 22
My friends uses Linux because it makes their
PC more powerful & stable. My friend uses
Linux so must I.
Appeal to number /Bandwagon /
peer pressure
Implies something is right because
everybody believes so. This line of
"reasoning" is fallacious because
peer pressure and threat of
rejection do not constitute evidence for
rejecting a claim
Logical Fallacies 23
12. We can’t allow students any voice in
decision making, if we do, it wont be long
before they are in total control

1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. Scare tactics /ad bacculum
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Appeal to vanity/flattery
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance

Logical Fallacies 24
12. We can’t allow students any voice in
decision making, if we do, it wont be long
before they are in total control

Slippery slope /domino theory

No middle road is given. Assumes that

when the first action is taken, it would
subsequently follow through to the
last. Is this true?

Logical Fallacies 25
13. Women need to be either brilliant or
beautiful to survive in this world.

1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. False dilemma (black or white/either-or)
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Appeal to vanity/flattery
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance

Logical Fallacies 26
13. Women need to be either brilliant or
beautiful to survive in this world.

False dilemma (black or white/

either – or)
Include either…or… . Just gives two
opposite extremes instead of allowing
for other possibilities. Not all women
who survive in this world are brilliant
or beautiful.
Logical Fallacies 27
14. Those who favor gun-control legislation
just want to take all guns away from
responsible citizens and put them into the
hands of the criminals.

1. Redherring/smokescreen
2. Slippery slope/ domino theory
3. False dilemma (black or white/either-or)
4. Ad hominem
5. Begging the question/circular argument
6. Strawman (oversimplification)
7. Burden of proof/Appeal to ignorance
Logical Fallacies 28
14. Those who favor gun-control legislation
just want to take all guns away from
responsible citizens and put them into the
hands of the criminals.
Strawman (oversimplification)

misrepresent an opponent's position to

make it easier to attack, usually by
distorting his or her views to ridiculous
extremes

Logical Fallacies 29