AP Language

Ms. Howe

Reasoning Fallacies
Ad Baculum/Argumentum Ad Mentum: An appeal to fear. Allowing fear to take the place
of rational thought. Example: You need to buy this home security system because there are prowlers everywhere.

Appeal to Emotion/Ad Misericordiam: Misusing, overusing, abusing emotion.

Example: The SPCA commercials featuring the abused animals and the sad music.

Appeal to Motive: Assuming there is an ulterior motive.

Example: You only bought me a car, so you could drive it!

Appeal to Tradition: The argument that something should remain the same because it has
always been that way. Example: Of course women should cook and clean. Theyve always done it, so its what theyre best at.

Argumentum Ad Hominem: Attacking the person rather than the argument. Personal
comments. Example: Of course you support school uniforms. You have no style!

Argumentum Ad Nauseum: Repeating something over and over until someone believes it.
Example: Bill Clinton: I did not sleep with that woman.

Argumentum Ad Populum: If the majority believes it is true, then it must be true.

Example: Everyone knows the world is flat. What other shape could it be?

Argumentum Ad Speculum: Also called Hypothesis Contrary to Fact. Association Fallacy: Assuming two things are related when they are only mildly related or not
at all. Example: Witches burn, and wood burns. So witches must be made of wood. - Monty Python

AP Language

Ms. Howe

Begging the Question: Act as if an assertion has been proven when it has not.
Example: Well, we already know that any products that come from China are cheap and not durable.... No evidence to support this.

Black and White Fallacy: Also called False Dilemma. Situation is seen as having only two
opposite options. Wont acknowledge a gray area. Example: Either you buy a hybrid car or you pollute the environment.

Contradictory Premises: Stating something that contradicts what has already been
established. Example: My dog never misbehaves. Hes so good that I dont even get mad at him when he chews my shoes.

Dicto Simpliciter: An argument based on an unqualified generalization. Example: If you eat fruits and vegetables, you will lose weight. Everyone should eat fruits and vegetables. (eating fruits and vegetables do not necessarily make you lose weight). Fallacy of the Single Cause: Simplifying complex situations and blaming them on a single,
individual cause. Example: I have trust problems because my mom forgot me at baseball practice once when I was a kid.

False Premise: A statement that is simply not true.

Example: Quitting school would make my life so much better.

Faulty Analogy: Comparing two different things or two things not inherently similar.
Example: Penn State has a much better offensive line than St. Francis. Penn State: D1, St. Francis, D3.

Faulty Statistics: Faulty generalization in numerical data. Not using representative samples in
research.

AP Language

Ms. Howe

Example: Research question: How healthy do Americans eat? Conduct interviews only at gyms and health centers. Will get skewed results.

Hasty Generalization: Making a false assumption.

Example: A car with a Delaware license plates cuts you off. You decide all people from Delaware are bad drivers.

Ignoratio Elenchi: Also called Irrelevant Thesis. Give an irrelevant answer when posed a
direct question. Example: Ms. Howe: Did you do your homework? Student: Penn State beat Michigan, and it was the best game anyones ever seen!!

Non-Sequitur: Also called Red Herring. Posing evidence thats irrelevant. Adding a
distraction. Example: Mom: I cant believe you failed that test! Adolescent: I cant believe that Sarah (sister) snuck out of the house last week! Mom: That is irrelevant.

Poisoning the Well: Related to Ad Hominem. Saying something about an opponent that makes their argument less credible before it is even stated. Example: Mom, before he even says anything, I swear hes lying. Post Hoc: Also called Faulty Cause or False Causality. Mistake in cause and effect. Assuming
something caused something else when it really didnt. Example: Violent video games cause school violence.

Slippery Slope: If one small step is taken in one direction, it will inevitably lead to a more
extreme outcome. Example: If you eat that cheeseburger, you will struggle with high blood pressure for the rest of your life.

Straw Man Argument: Misinterpreting or simplifying other sides argument. Take quotes out
of context.

AP Language Example: Mom: Take out the trash. Adolescent: You expect me to run this household!

Ms. Howe

Technical Jargon: Use words that other people wouldnt understand to confuse them into
believing something. Example: You guys need to do this on your own because the pedagogy says, based on Vygotskys Sociocultural Theory, that in order for scaffolding to be successful, the teacher needs to gradually fade prompts.

The Unfalsifiable Claim/ Special Pleading: A theory that cannot be disproved. A

conspiracy. Example: A. Our own government killed JFK because they felt he was not taking a stern enough stand against communism. B. You have no proof of that. A. Thats because the government destroyed it!!